Jeff Kennett is back as Hawthorn president and ready to start search for new chief executive

HAWTHORN president Jeff Kennett once said coach Alastair Clarkson should leave after 10 years in charge. But the reinstated Hawks boss now has a different view.

Jeff Kennett is back in charge of the Hawks. Aaron Francis/The Australian

REINSTATED Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett concedes he was wrong about a plan to end coach Alastair Clarkson’s tenure after 10 seasons.

Kennett’s shock return to the Hawks after seven years will see the renewal of one of footy’s most volatile president-coach relationships.

The former Victorian premier once threatened to drop Clarkson to the VFL over a series of losses early in 2010.

“I am not going to change my story now ... I have always said to Clarko that he should go after 10 years,” Kennett said on Wednesday.

MEMORABLE: CLASSIC KENNETT MOMENTS

“But the board at the time and he agreed to extend that contract, and that’s good and that’s worked out very well for the club.

“There is always that exception.”

Clarkson, 49, would have ended his coaching career at the Hawks after the 2014 flag under Kennett’s mantra on time served by club officials.

The four-time premiership coach is contracted to the Hawks until the end of the 2019 season.

“I have got no idea what will happen as we get to the end of his contract,” Kennett said of Clarkson.

Jeff Kennett is back.

“All I know is that we have him for two years. I am simply saying ... without knowing what will happen beyond that, don’t lose sight of watching this space in the meantime.

“We are not here to simply occupy a position within the AFL. We are here to win.

“He (Clarkson) and I have always had a very good robust relationship. Neither are sycophantic to the other ... one might say, his and mine was a little too robust. I don’t know.

“The point is, it delivered the outcomes that our members wanted and our players wanted. And it also stood the club in good stead from the period when I left.

“I am looking forward to working with him again.

“He has two more years on his current contract. He told me the other day when I met him that he is going to honour that, which is good. There is an urgency for me about the current situation which is exciting.”

Jeff Kennett has enjoyed some happy days with Alistair Clarkson.

Clarkson was notified of Kennett’s return early on Wednesday by acting Hawthorn chief executive Peter Nankivell.

Kennett was yet to speak to Clarkson late on Wednesday.

“Clarko’s contract may be extended, he may not wish it to be extended, but we have got him for two more years,” Kennett said.

“He is the most-educated coach in the league ... it’s just not his professional training as a teacher, he also learns.

“He is the only coach I know that every year he has been at Hawthorn, at the end of every year he travels overseas, he looks at other facilities in other sports and other codes and he meets other people.

“The amount of information that he had about sport generally would leave the collective of AFL coaches in his wake. We know he has got two more years.

“I know Clarko is hungry.

“He got us a premiership in 2008 and we fell after that pretty quickly, maybe through injury in 2009. He brought us back to win three premierships ... and if I know Clarko at all, he will be very, very keen to win another premiership quickly, to rebuild the club or playing group, three times in his career.

“We will be there to ensure that he has the best opportunity to do that.”

Jeff Kennett is adamant the Hawks have a place in Tasmania.

MEANWHILE, Kennett says finding a new chief executive will be high on his agenda.

Kennett was reinstalled as club president following the resignation of Richard Garvey, who was less than 12 months into a three-year term at the helm.

“This has all happened very quickly,” he said.

“What I have said to Richard and the board members is that I’ll do one term. And part of my responsibility and the board’s responsibility in that time, is to find the people who are going to succeed me and maybe other members of the board so that they can lead the club for the six years after that.

“My first responsibility is to ensure the continuing good governance of any organisation.”

He also said he believes Garvey “should be saluted”.

Hawthorn parted ways with CEO Tracey Gaudry on Monday, and Kennett said he will endeavour to find a new candidate “fairly quickly”.

“The board hasn’t started — apart from having thoughts going through my mind — but we’ll be running a much more direct process than might otherwise have been the case,” he said.

“I have some peoples’ names in mind, but none of them I have approached.”

Kennett — known for his forthright views — has previously clashed with the league but was today adamant that does not want to “brawl” with the AFL.

But he affirmed his view that to encourage Hawthorn to withdraw from Tasmania would be “anti-social”.

“We’ve committed heart and soul to Tasmania,” he said, citing examples of coach Alastair Clarkson and players and staff “building fences” on the Apple Isle following natural emergencies.

“Our commitment to Tasmania is more than just playing football.

“I hope that the AFL realise that this continuing drive to drive us out of Tasmania is not only against the wishes of Hawthorn, but it is almost anti-social.

“It is against the welfare of those Tasmanians, because we now take in about $50 million a year through our supporters and sponsors ... if you take Hawthorn out of Tasmania, particularly northern Tasmania — you will not be able to replace the income that we provide.”