Alastair Clarkson's manager has laughed off reports that his client has begun contacting clubs in regards to his return to coaching next year.
According to former Brisbane and Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff, Clarkson had held talks with upcoming free agents urging them to remain unsigned for 2023 as he plans his return to the AFL landscape.
"Alastair Clarkson has been making phone calls,” Rockliff told Triple M last week.
"That is the mail that I’ve heard… I’m not sure which club, I don’t know if he’s said which club he’s going to."
The four-time premiership coach departed Hawthorn after 17 years at Waverley as part of a messy handover last season, with club great Sam Mitchell stepping into the senior coaching duties for 2022.
Clarkson has since stepped into an advisory role for a Tasmanian expansion team task force, with the AFL weighing up introducing a standalone side for the island state.
The new venture has been the sole priority for Clarkson, according to his manager James Henderson, who has stated the champion coach hasn't held discussions with AFL clubs.
“We haven’t spoken to any clubs. I don’t know where that’s come from. It’s pretty simple," Henderson told The Herald Sun.
"Tasmania is his absolute focus, he is down in Tasmania later this week and he met with us for a few days last week with the task force.
“He came back from the US with a number of ideas around many elements of the club from high performance to the stadium all the way through to potential membership models. His core function is to create a vision for how Tasmania accelerates its own pathways and produces more players.”
Clarkson has been heavily considered to reignite his coaching career in the near future, whether that be with a Tasmanian club or a current license.
The 53-year-old was of high interest for both Collingwood and Carlton last year before deciding to have a year off from coaching.
Clarkson would be of interest to the Gold Coast Suns at season's end should they look to cut ties with off-contract coach Stuart Dew, while a number of Clarkson's past colleagues are situated at St Kilda, with Brett Ratten's contract also expiring at the end of 2022.
Clarkson amassed a 228-4-158 record with Hawthorn between 2005-2021, claiming premierships in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
