JUST as North Melbourne did to Collingwood in 2009, the Pies have forced Hawthorn's hand into a pre-emptive succession plan.

And in the Hawks' case – it was one they never set out to have.

Twelve years ago, an approach from the Roos to Buckley led to the Pies drawing up a plan for their champion midfielder to take the reins from Mick Malthouse in 2012.

This time around, the mid-season removal of Buckley at Collingwood has prompted a Hawks transition less than a month after chief executive Justin Reeves told the ABC, "We just don't think that's (succession plan) the right thing for anyone".

On Tuesday, the Hawks backflipped on the timeline they had repeatedly peddled for their own coaching discussions set for the post-season and announced an Alastair Clarkson handover to Sam Mitchell for 2023.

President Jeff Kennett admitted the Pies' Buckley decision on June 8 had changed the Hawks' goalposts with Clarkson approaching head of football Rob McCartney (curiously not Kennett or Reeves) to ask the club to fast-track their future planning three weeks ago.

With Sam Mitchell receiving strong interest from the Pies to replace Buckley, the board made the call last week to appoint the four-time premiership midfielder for the future over Clarkson. In Kennett's words in a letter to members, "In considering the next five to 10 years, it was felt extending Alastair's contract into that period was simply unrealistic."

Now that they have their heads around committing to a handover that always appeared on the cards, but one they consistently refused, the Hawks can take something from each of the four succession plans from the last decade. And none more than Collingwood of 2011-2012.

While Clarkson said on Tuesday he will coach out the remainder of his contract for 2022, the Hawks need to ensure both parties are on the same page before an avalanche of offers come from rival clubs. Collingwood have an opening for next year and Carlton could soon follow suit if the review into its football department finds David Teague's time is up.

Malthouse originally agreed to the Director of Coaching position at Collingwood for the year after his coaching tenure ended, but later turned it down and was announced Blues coach in September 2012.

Unlike Malthouse did for 2012, Clarkson hasn't agreed to anything with the Hawks beyond 2022. But both sides need to be transparent with one another should he instead opt to entertain another coaching position for next season to avoid the noise that hounded Buckley's early days in the top job and even had him considering asking the Pies to delay the call during 2011.

Then there's the players. Buckley farewelled premiership stars Heath Shaw, Dale Thomas, Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham inside his first two years while the club was contending.

It becomes vital that the Hawks – who concede they won't be in the flag window for five years – cut recent recruits Tom Mitchell, Chad Wingard and Jaeger O'Meara in on their plans so they can forecast whether their individual flag pursuits will eventuate at Waverley Park or if they're better served chasing one elsewhere.

The Hawks' board has clearly come to the view that Mitchell will be ready by 2023, but they can take a leaf out of Sydney's book in 2010-11 that John Longmire had received the adequate training on the job. The 2012 flag coach had nine years under Paul Roos before their succession plan was executed for 2011 season.

Buckley admits it took time to adjust after only two seasons as an assistant whereas Longmire won a cup in his second campaign in the hot seat. Mitchell will have had five years of experience by the time he takes the reins (including one at West Coast), but extra learnings, education and the right mix of exposure – like Longmire enjoyed – will be invaluable to upskill the 38-year-old over the next 18 months.

And finally, looking to Melbourne's handover between Roos and Simon Goodwin and Essendon's John Worsfold-Ben Rutten succession, the Hawks need to be clear on who is running the strategy.   

Goodwin spent 2015-16 as the Demons' senior assistant before transitioning into the senior job. Rutten was Worsfold's 'understudy' in 2020 before moving up.

Both had strong experience at other clubs before their respective succession plans, but both were found running most of the gameplan in the year before the top job. And players from both clubs have previously suggested it was easy to forget whose voice mattered most.

Mitchell will remain coaching Box Hill in the VFL in 2022, but the Hawks must be aligned on whose gameplan they're playing for round one, 2022 – Mitchell or Clarkson's. If a fringe player such as Ollie Hanrahan or Daniel Howe has a question on strategy, is it Mitchell or Clarkson they're speaking to?

Then there's the question on who runs pre-season training (Clarkson returned to take on more of the load in 2021 compared to recent years), who fronts sponsors, coteries, key press conferences and everything else that comes with being a senior coach.

The Hawks have succeeded in the first challenge to fend off rivals and secure their long-term coach. Now comes the fun part like the rest of the recent succession plans – watching them complete the rollout from now to the season opener in 2023.