HAWTHORN draftee Ryan Burton will be out for 12 weeks following surgery on his troublesome leg.

But the Hawks have moved to relieve him of any anxiety about his future by offering him a one-year extension to his original draft deal, tying him to the club until at least the end of 2018. 

The Hawks used their first pick - No.19 overall - in last year's NAB AFL Draft on the exciting forward and view Burton as a long-term prospect in the mould of star Jack Gunston.

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The 19-year-old only recently returned to playing football for Box Hill in the VFL after a horrific leg injury wiped out his draft year. 

Burton had 10 screws and a plate inserted into his left leg after an incident in a marking contest in a school football match, and he will be back for more surgery later this week.

"Ryan needs to have an operation to take out the plate and screws from his 2014 injury," list and recruiting manager Graham Wright said.  

"(By re-signing him) we wanted to take away any anxiety that he may have had, and show him that we think he’ll be a really important player for us long-term.

"We drafted Ryan knowing he had an in injury that would need time to overcome. 

"We’ve been really happy with his progress so far and think he will be a really good player for us in the future."

Burton, a North Adelaide product, has played in Box Hill's two victories to kick-off the VFL season.

The 191cm youngster has played in attack and defence, taking four marks and winning 13 possessions in the round one triumph over Sandringham.

The Hawks haven't yet outlined a timeframe on Burton's return date post-surgery.

The club also revealed that second-year tall Marc Pittonet had extended his contract until the end of 2018. Pittonet played in the season opener against Geelong.