BEFORE we knew about Jeff Kennett's bold, oh-so-Kennett-like 2050 vision for Hawthorn – seven flags in the next 33 years – there was 'a look'.

It came as the returned president and his at-times public sparring partner, four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, reacquainted themselves over a bottle of red in October.

For context's sake, the Hawks missed finals last year for the first time since suffering a much-scrutinised premiership hangover in 2009, the season after Clarkson won his first flag as coach.

Kennett questioned, on SEN's breakfast program nine months ago, with Hawthorn sitting at 0-4, whether Clarkson, 13 seasons in, was the right man to take the club forward.

That owed in part to his long-held philosophy that six to nine years was the ideal timeframe for anyone to be in a leadership position. 

The pair have a colourful history, including Kennett reportedly being perilously close to sacking Clarkson after the Hawks lost six of their first seven contests in 2010.

There was also off-field upheaval last year, with chief executive Tracey Gaudry effectively sacked, five months after becoming the first female to hold that role at any AFL club in an ongoing capacity.

Club president Richard Garvey, who played a pivotal role in appointing Gaudry, fell on his sword two days later, but remained as a director and initiated Kennett's second coming.

So, here Kennett and Clarkson were, together again, in the former Victorian Premier's first week back as club president almost four months ago. 

"I said to Clarko, 'Listen, mate, my objective next year, 2018, is to be top eight'," Kennett told AFL.com.au.

"He looked at me with detestation and said, 'Mine is to win'. I knew then that the passion was still there.

"I know in the number of conversations we've had since – some rambling and some terribly focused – he is out to prove himself again." 

Clarkson still has two years to run on his latest contract and Kennett insists they will be "absolutely, 100 per cent" honoured and his tenure may even extend beyond 15 seasons. 

"If, as I suspect, we rattle the cage over the next three years, I hope he stays longer," Kennett said.

"The one thing about Clarko, which is different from every other coach, is he is the best educated coach by a million miles. 

"Every year he's out there looking, seeing, testing and pushing the boundaries."

Kennett and Clarkson chat after a win over Collingwood in 2007. Picture: AFL Photos

Kennett is in the process of an administrative and board overhaul, which he plans to complete inside the next month.

He already appointed Justin Reeves as Gaudry's replacement, and moved football manager Jason Burt into a new welfare role after just one year in his old position, which went to recruiting and list manager Graham Wright.

"I have an expression which I'm applying very heavily and quickly at the moment: the club has got to be fit for purpose," Kennett said. 

"I've always had the view in any organisation you lead; you've got to be professional from top to bottom. There's no point in just one part doing well.

"I think our football area is now fit for purpose … (but) the administration and the board is not yet quite fit for purpose. And I'm working on that."

Kennett also remains committed to keeping Hawthorn in Tasmania despite AFL boss Gillon McLachlan's wish for only one team, rather than the current two, to service the state. 

United front needed for Tassie: Kennett

There are other big jobs for him to tackle in the next three years, a period that could see him out. 

Among them are the Dingley relocation, trying to score the Hawks an AFL Women's licence, and dealing with backlash about pokies-generated club income.

Hawthorn has two gaming venues: Vegas at Waverley Gardens in Mulgrave, in Melbourne's south-east – minutes from Waverley Park – and WestWaters Hotel in Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's west. 

The Hawks have led the League in pokies-related profits since acquiring a 73 per cent share in the WestWaters Hotel, which opened in 2010. 

Gamblers lost almost $46 million across 2015 and 2016 at the two venues Hawthorn is associated with.

"We as part of our Vision are going to be announcing some exciting initiatives to find ways to find replacement income generators that will over time replace that we receive from gaming machines," Kennett wrote on Twitter in mid-December.

"But that will take some time."

Kennett, the founder and former chairman of mental health advocacy organisation beyondblue, was not so definitive in his latest comments to AFL.com.au.

He said even reducing the Hawks' pokies venues from two to one would not happen anytime soon and was frustrated the AFL and its clubs were a "whipping boy on every social issue".

Interestingly, Labor is promising to remove all gaming machines from Tasmania by 2023 if it is voted into power at the state election in March. 

"Why is it just the AFL that has to get rid of them while they're legal?" Kennett said.

"If the law changes, we'll be out the door tomorrow – and we'd be out the door tomorrow if we could find replacement revenue. 

"Money is not easy to come by … we play within the law and we do the best we can." 

AFL clubs are actively looking for alternative revenue streams, with Adelaide, which operates no gaming machines, and Essendon investing in esports teams last year.

The Hawks are tasked with raising $100 million – and possibly more, according to Kennett – to complete the move from Waverley Park, their home since 2006, to the 28-hectare site at Dingley.

Councillors to debate Hawks' $100m facility

The relocation could still be five years away.

Kennett told club members at the AGM in December that construction would not start until "about half" of that funding was secured.

"I shouldn't say this, but I hate the name 'Dingley'. It's going to be a major community facility and we will find the appropriate name for it over the next six months," Kennett said.

"It's a wonderful piece of land … and even if we only land-banked it, we'd make good money out of it. But we're not going to do that – we want to develop it.

"Part of the 'fit for purpose' I referred to in terms of the board and administration has to do with the redevelopment of that site and, again, that will become clearer in due course."