Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett says Alastair Clarkson is far from a spent force at the Hawks, believing the master coach is "girding his loins" for the club's next premiership tilt.

In this 13th season as coach of Hawthorn, Clarkson will fall out of contract at the end of next year, but the four-time flag mentor has shown no signs of going stale at Waverley Park.

Read: Kennett calls for AFLW side by 2020

Speaking on SEN on Tuesday morning, Kennett said the 50-year-old appeared to be readying himself to return the Hawks to premiership calculations.   

"I think he is girding his loins," Kennett said.

"There aren't many people I know in life who refresh themselves as regularly as Alastair does, and he does refresh himself.

"It's remarkable. Yes, he has been there a long time, and yes, it's longer than the sort of timeframe that I apply to myself, because I know my strengths and weaknesses and I need a new challenge every six to nine years.

"Alastair can refresh himself, and he is doing that. He has been doing it for the last year and a half.

"He still is, to me, not only the master coach based on performance, he is the master coach in terms of reinventing himself and our team."

However, Kennett, in his second stint as president, said he wouldn't hesitate to make a change if thought the club needed it.

"The moment I lose confidence in (Clarkson), or the club losses confidence in me, you move on," Kennett said.

"I very much believe in this business of delegation.

"He does his job as he sees fit, if there are areas of his performance that I don't understand, I'll talk to him, he will talk to me.