MARK Thompson remains adamant he will be coaching Essendon for just one season and is convinced James Hird will return to the senior role in 2015.

The club's board is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss Hird's future after chairman Paul Little refused to guarantee the coach would return after his suspension ends in August.

Thompson, speaking at training on Tuesday, said he hadn't been approached by the Bombers to coach beyond his one-year agreement, and still believed Hird would come back.

"I wouldn't expect the club to ask and I wouldn't change my answer," Thompson said.

"I'm coaching for the year and that's it.

"He's coming back.

"That was the plan. Until it changes, we can't do anything else."

Thompson said the upcoming board meeting and continuing talk of the situation was not something he was concerning himself with.

He also said he believed it wouldn't affect preparation for Friday night's blockbuster against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium.

"I don't think it will have any impact at all," he said.

"We won't talk about it, we won't use it.

"The best way to play good footy is to concentrate on good footy.

"It's not my issue. It's the club's issue.

"They've got to work it all out and I'm happy for that and the players are happy because we can get to do what we do, and that's concentrate on footy."

The Bombers stood up on Friday night to thrash North Melbourne just 24 hours after the latest explosive installment in the supplements scandal – Tania Hird's interview on the ABC's 7.30 program.

The following day, speculation raged that Hird would be sacked.

Thompson said he wasn't surprised his players were able to put the off-field drama in the backs of their minds against the Kangaroos and get the job done. 

"In this business, the pressure comes," he said.

"If it's not this, it's something else. There's pressure at every club.

"It's the good clubs that know how to handle it and that's what we want to become."

After facing a range of probing questions on the coaching situation and what would happen next year, Thompson was keen to turn the attention to Friday night's game and the prospect of filling Etihad stadium with Essendon supporters.

"Right now, I'm wasting time on something that's not important to me," he said.

"You know what is important? This jumper, and that people come to the footy donning the sash because we want the whole stadium filled up with people who are red and black.

"They asked me to wear a jumper today and I couldn't quite do it.

"The biceps are not quite in shape."