HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says a decision hasn't yet been reached on whether this season will be Shaun Burgoyne's last.

The four-time premiership player is out of contract at the end of this season, but has played 10 games for the Hawks in a role up forward in 2020.

The former Port Adelaide star will likely finish this season about 10 games short of becoming the fifth player in AFL/VFL history to reach the magical 400-game milestone, and Clarkson said the Hawks were yet to decide on whether Burgoyne could play on into a 20th season.

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"We'll sit down and work that out. Part of it is seeing what Shaun wants to do, how his body is and how he finishes the season," Clarkson said on Wednesday.

"Part of it is to do with our list and what our future is, too. We'll sit down and work that out together. But now's not the time to be discussing it from our point of view, nor Shaun's.

"[There's] five games to go of this season and then we'll see where it all lands. We've got a lot to achieve over the next five weeks in terms of what we want to do and where we want to go, and what that might look like for 2021 and beyond.

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"We'll just need to use that five weeks as best we can in to help us with all our decision-making in that space."

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Burgoyne turns 38 in October and is the AFL's oldest player, but he has been extremely durable during his 11 seasons with the Hawks.

He booted two goals from 10 disposals in the Hawks' narrow loss to the Power last week in one of their better performances of the season.

Hawthorn faces Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, with hopes it can regain Jack Gunston (back) and James Frawley (thumb/general soreness), while ruckman Jon Ceglar (toe) is also a chance to come back.

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"Even though we're playing tomorrow night, we'll probably have to go down to the wire with two or three of our players determining their availability and fitness," Clarkson said.

"Today's training will be pretty pivotal for that, and then how they pull up from that will determine what our side looks like tomorrow night."