Hawthorn sharpshooter Luke Breust has backed team-mate Cyril Rioli to make the right decision about whether he plays again this AFL season.

Rioli is the only significant injury concern for the Hawks heading into next week’s preliminary final against either Fremantle or Port Adelaide.

The brilliant small forward is in a race against time to recover from yet another hamstring injury.

Breust pointed to defender Brent Guerra, who put his hand up early in grand final week two years ago and said he would not recover in time from a hamstring injury.

Guerra played in last year’s premiership side and then retired.

“Cyril has been training well, so whether it’s this week or next week, we’ll just to wait and see and leave that to the medical staff,” Breust said.

“You’d back the player in, similar to Brent Guerra … he ruled himself out pretty early.

“I’m sure Cyril would do something similar – if he wasn’t right, then he’d definitely say ‘no’ to the medical staff and wouldn’t put the team in jeopardy.”

Former Hawks great Dermott Brereton has flagged a potential scenario where the club hold Rioli back and risk him for the grand final.

Brereton noted that even if Rioli was not properly fit, the small forward is such a dangerous player that he would demand one of the opposition’s best running defenders.

“I guess it would put a little bit of doubt in the opposition’s minds, what he’s going to do – whether he’s going to play sub or whether he’s going to start on the field,” Breust said.

“I’m sure they’d make decisions around that, because of how special a player he is.”

But Breust stressed that their medical department would have a big say in Rioli’s finals fate this month.

“He’s a very explosive player, so coming on late in game, when he could definitely have an impact … it might harm that hamstring,” Breust said.

“But at the same time, we’d back our medical staff in that he was right and it wouldn’t happen again.”

This is the third-straight year that Hawthorn have won their qualifying final and earned the week off.

Breust said they would treat it as if they were playing this weekend and have a couple of solid hitouts.