The Tasmanian has an impeccable winning record as a senior coach after five straight wins as caretaker during Clarkson’s illness when Hawthorn’s season and attempt at back-to-back flags threatened to be derailed.

Now, he’s happy to talk to clubs about senior coaching positions but was also content at the Hawks and to bide his time, he said.

‘‘I understand it’s a tough gig to try and get a senior job and the planets need to align both for the club and the individual and, if the personality and the club match, then it all works,’’ said the former North Launceston premiership player.

‘‘At the moment my mind is all about continual development and if that happens sooner, rather than later, that is great but I am really happy working at Hawthorn as well.

‘‘I think given the opportunity you create an environment but I understand it is not just me being ready. It is having the right people around you ready because teams now coach footy clubs so it is important to get a good system and structure around you – not just the individual.

‘‘I have got some ideas about how I would go about it if that opportunity one day presented.’’

Bolton would need to hope clubs have finally overcome the prejudice against coaches who had not played senior AFL football. Brendan McCartney, at the Western Bulldogs, is the latest of only a handful of senior coaches not to have played AFL football.

He acknowledged it could be considered an issue at some clubs but felt it had become incidental now with the size and growth of the role of senior coach.

‘‘I think, now, [with] coaching apprenticeships, time actually coaching is really important and education and understanding how people think. You need a variety of different people around you.

‘‘I wouldn’t have thought it stands against me. I think the longer you are an assistant the more experience you have in teaching and understanding learning is what’s important in coaching now in the modern era.

‘‘They make those decisions and it is not for me to determine if I am the right fit or not – it is up to the club. I will have an open mind if there is a conversation to be had. I will just have an open mind because, like I said, there are so many things that need to align for that to occur.’’

Fellow Hawthorn assistant Luke Beveridge will join the Saints to head up their development academy next year presuming he does not secure a senior job elsewhere.

Hawthorn football manager Chris Fagan is another Tasmanian impeccably qualified for senior coaching, having coached a team in his own right, been a development coach, assistant coach, fitness coach and is now heading up a football department. Yet his name has yet to feature in the conversation for senior roles.

Fagan also did not play senior AFL football but played more than 300 games in Tasmania before retiring prematurely to begin his coaching career.