Matt Suckling re-signs for Hawthorn for another two years; Grant Birchall not fit to face St Kilda. Knee-injury victim Matthew Suckling has re-signed with Hawthorn for two years. BOOMING left foot defender Matt Suckling has re-signed with Hawthorn for another two years. Suckling has not featured for the Hawks since last year's Grand Final loss to Sydney after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a pre-season game against Richmond in March. But the 25-year-old's importance to the club has been underscored by its decision to recontract him until at least the end of the 2015 season. Another rebounding Hawk defender on the comeback trail from a knee injury, Grant Birchall, has resumed full training, but will not be considered for Friday night's game against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. Instead he is eyeing off a return for the MCG blockbuster against Collingwood next Friday. Hawthorn's acting manager of football, Chris Fagan, said Suckling's re-signing was great news. "We were terribly disappointed when he hurt his knee at the start of this year," Fagan told the Herald Sun. He's become an important player at our club so it's good for him in a year where he's been injured that the club has shown faith in him to continue on. We are very hopeful he'll come back better than ever from his injury. These knee injuries also make you grow up as a person as well I think. He'll be pretty hungry to do well when he comes back and we're really happy to have him at the club for another two years. The Hawks initially said Birchall would miss four to six weeks after he injured his posterior cruciate ligament against West Coast on June 21. Fagan said the extra week is an "insurance policy" of sorts with finals just around the corner. "He won't play this week, he'll play next week," he said. He's in full skills work this week, which we like, and he's done a great running program over the last four weeks so he's very running fit. But we just want to make sure he does plenty of football work over the next two weeks before we re-introduce him in to the team. A final call on whether ruckman Max Bailey, who missed the weekend loss to Richmond, plays against the Saints will be made tomorrow. Meanwhile, Fagan said a thumb injury to Luke Hodge could be a blessing in disguise. The captain had minor surgery on Monday and is likely to miss two weeks. "He's played 17 games in row and he throws his body around, so it's probably an opportune time to have a bit of a rest," Fagan said. It's not good fortune that he's fractured a little bone in his thumb, but it probably is in the sense that it gives his body a chance to freshen up which is good for every body at this time of the year.