In a worrying sign for  rival AFL clubs, Hawthorn champion Cyril Rioli says he’s in better shape at this stage of the pre season than he has been for a number of years.

The Tiwi islander (pictured) extended his contract with the Hawks until 2020 late last week in a  welcome move for the club that has been on something of a rebuilding phase since the end of the 2016 season.

The 27 year old four time premiership superstar says as a senior member of the Hawthorn squad, he’s looking forward to working closely with the next generation of Hawks  players.