Dan Grida facing up to three months out with latest injury knock

Grida suffered a high-grade hamstring injury on the Hawks trip to New Zealand for a preseason double-header against the Breakers, with reports suggesting he's facing 10-12 weeks on the sideline.

On the path back from his second ACL tear Grida had been turning heads with his pre-season progress toward a return, but the serious hamstring injury sees the 24-year-old facing another lengthy stint off the floor.

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It's a bitter blow given his recent injury history that saw him seek counselling to deal with the mental toll.

"This is really disappointing for Dan; he is a beloved member of our organisation, and he's had a frustrating run with injuries over the past 18 months." Hawks general manager Mat Campbell said.

"However, we do know that Dan brings such a great attitude to his rehabilitation, something we know we'll see again this time around.

"We will seek a specialist opinion this week to determine what the rehabilitation plan looks like for him."

The Hawks still have an Australian spot remaining on their roster and will look at injury-replacement options, though it's unlikely to be confirmed prior to this weekend's NBL Blitz.

Recent Asia Cup-winning Boomer Alex Mudronja has moved from an injury-replacement role to a full roster spot this season, while the club recently added development players Harry Morris and William Hickey to their list.

The Hawks were undermanned on their recent trip to New Zealand but welcome back newly anointed co-captain Tyler Harvey after a brief sojourn in the US.

He'll be at the helm of a very different looking team following the departure of coach Brian Goorjian as well as star big Duop Reath (China) and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Antonius Cleveland (Adelaide).

The departures combined with having a rookie coach in Jacob Jackomas in charge will see the Hawks enter the new campaign without the huge expectations that accompanied tip-off last season.

For a Harvey it's a welcome return to a status the Hawks relished in his first season in Wollongong, though he feels the roster is more well-rounded and capable of the consistency that's eluded his team despite back-to-back finals appearances.

"I think coming into this season people have us as kind of the underdog which is great," Harvey said.

"We know what we have to do to win games and we know, if we don't do those things, we're not going to win games. It's very black and white and Jacob has done a great job explaining that to us.

"I hope we can just remain stable. Whatever happens, good games, bad games, rough times, I think we have a group that can remain stable and kind of neutral.

"If we go out and do what we have to do day in, day out, I think the percentages will play out and we'll get better as the season goes on.

"Top to bottom we have talent at every single position and once we figure out how to really come together, play together and do those things day in, day out, that's when it becomes fun.

"We're still in that learning phase a little bit but we've been progressing really well over the last couple of weeks and it's going to be exciting to watch this year. It's going to be a fun brand of basketball we play."

The Hawks travel to the Blitz in Darwin this weekend, their first match-up coming against Melbourne United on Sunday followed by New Zealand on Tuesday and Adelaide on Thursday.

They'll then return home in preparation for an opening night match-up against the Sydney Kings on October 1.

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