He’s the longest serving coach in the history of the club, and Alastair Clarkson doesn’t see his coaching path diverting any time soon. 

Speaking on Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday night, the Hawks’ four-time premiership coach said he hopes to finish his career as a one-club senior coach.

“My preference and the club’s preference is that there’s not (another club in my future),” he said.

“Right at this point in time - never say never – but I’d be pretty certain that my tenure at the Hawks will be the last. 

“And that might still go for some time, I must add.

“I’m excited by the next wave of players coming through for our footy club.

“We’re going through some ups and downs… but you’re going to get that with a new group coming through.

“But I’m really excited about what we can do over the next few years, and we’ll see where it all goes from there.”

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Clarkson joined the club ahead of the 2005 season, and has coached the Hawks in 319 games across 14 seasons, culminating in the 2008, '13, '14 and '15 premierships. He is widely acknowledged as the best coach of the modern era. 

However, the 50-year-old is under no illusions that his time at the helm will last forever, reiterating that he is only a temporary custodian of the Hawthorn Football Club.

“At some point in time we’ll sit down together and work out that there’s a better person to coach the footy club.

“The club and I both know it is about the club, more so than any individual, and that includes the coach.”