But while the announcement of the club's coaching succession plan brought mixed emotions for the 31-year-old, considering at the end of next season he will farewell the coach who helped guide him to two premierships in Alastair Clarkson before welcoming a man who played alongside him in those triumphs in Sam Mitchell, right now his focus is on more immediate matters.

More specifically the Hawks' visit to Launceston on Saturday to face Fremantle at UTAS Stadium.

"Footy clubs are unique places and you get really invested not just in the club, but in the people and Clarko has become part of the furniture and whenever it was going to end for Clarko it was going to be a significant thing,'' he said on Friday.

"I'm certainly a bit of an old-school person and can be nostalgic at times, and to think that after everything I have been through with Clarko, it will be over soon is strange in a way.

"But change is inevitable and you always have to be looking forward, but now it is very exciting to see Sam will get the opportunity from 2023."

The 237-game ruckman did admit there would be some challenges in some ways for the Hawks after their very different week and all the different emotions that came with it, but with core values that won't differ no matter who is in charge, he believed the playing group would be able to cope.

As well as moving the focus back to the on-field action, the clash against Fremantle will give the Hawks the opportunity to do something it hasn't done much of in recent times, collect the four points in Launceston.

A loss to the Dockers would see Hawthorn lose three in a row for the first time 2004-05.

It has lost three of its past four games at a venue it once won 19 consecutive matches at, a current record McEvoy is not happy with.

"That is one of those unwritten things at Hawthorn as that is our second home and we love coming down and playing there,'' McEvoy said.

"We are disappointed we have let go of our stronghold a little bit down there, but it is not something with everything that has been going on this week we haven't particularly touched on, but I know personally it is something I have thought about a couple of times this week.

"I love playing down there and it does upset me that we have dropped a couple down there this year.

"We are certainly very keen to give our loyal Tassie supporters a reason to sing the song at the end of the day."

ALSO IN SPORT

Whether not being able to play at the venue last year had played a role was something he could not answer.

But the one thing he was certain of was that he hoped Saturday wouldn't be the second last game he plays in the city as the home team with the government's deal with the club expiring at the end of the season, with plans to bring his family down to watch a game next season.

The other thing he was certain of was that Saturday wouldn't be easy, despite Freo's 1-11 record in the city.

The Dockers are in the hunt for finals and will be looking to celebrate skipper Nat Fyfe's 200^th game in style.

"It is a game of AFL footy and I have been lucky enough to have been around for a fair while now and I haven't played many easy ones,'' he said.

"They were too good last time [by 15 points in round four] and Fremantle teams have always in my experience been hard to play against and I would expect no different this week."

He believed last week's loss against Port Adelaide would have provided the young Hawks with a great lesson in how to cope and be composed under intense pressure.

McEvoy also believed North Launceston premiership player Jackson Callow would make his senior debut "sooner rather than later" as he has been "excited" about what the key forward has shown since coming onto the list in the mid-season draft.

Saturday will also see Shaun Burgoyne, who last week played his 400^th AFL game, play his 46^th game at UTAS, one away from the all-time leader in Luke Hodge.