Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson admits his long-term coaching plans are far from clear, despite Hawks president Jeff Kennett reassuring the coach of his job beyond 2019.
Clarkson, the most successful coach in the modern era, says the next 12-18 months will give him more information on whether he still has the passion to go on into another contract after Kennett said "I hope he stays longer" in an interview last month.
"I welcome the endorsement from him that he thinks I'm the person to lead the club, but I think we have to move with baby steps over the next 12 months to two years," he said.
With a large turnover within the club both on and off the field in recent years, Clarkson has remained and while he strives to drive the club to a finals return in 2018, the four-time premiership coach's sights are set beyond the immediate future.
"All the key pillars have changed for all sorts of reasons, but the next 12 months to two years is pivotal to see whether I've still got the passion and desire to drive this group and whether the new group of players coming through is going to respond to that coaching.
"I think we need to take every bit of the next two years as a club to decide where we want to go and what we want to do."
With club champions including Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis all moving on to other clubs in the last few seasons, Clarkson is all too familiar with having hard conversations with the heavy hitters of the club.
"What we are really pleased about is that we gave them an opportunity to contribute to the decision and the timing. For Sam and Jordan that discussion meant exploring what it would look like at another club," Clarkson said.
"That was tough for them, tough for me, but at the end of the day they were each able to create an opportunity that was longer and more stable than what Hawthorn could offer them.
"I sit here and so does the club, pretty comfortable that they were able to have a voice in what was a really, really difficult transition."
The mutual respect between Clarkson and the football club is something that Clarkson says make their relationship unique, with both parties heavily invested in the future success when Clarkson eventually moves on, even if they don't know when that time will be.
"I'm not sure what that is," Clarkson said.
"As long as my passion is there and the players and the club are responding to that, I'll continue on, but if I feel that for whatever reason the message isn't getting through, I've had an enormous opportunity to coach this club and as has been the case with all those who have served our club, I'll pass the baton.
"Will that be after my 15th year, or will I continue longer? That's a discussion we will share together rather than one of us having the whip hand.
"That's what makes it unique and pleasing because we can sit down and have those chats about what's best for the footy club."
