Having lost key assistant coach Brendon Bolton on the eve of the finals, the Hawks have joined a push for new rules banning clubs signing coaches until after the finals.

New NFL style anti-poaching rules should be adopted in the AFL, according to Hawks football director Chris Fagan.

Clubs hunting for a new coach, normally after sacking them mid-season, should be banned from approaching any coach at a rival club during the home and away season and then barred from appointing a new coach until after the finals.

"I think NFL-style rules do need to be considered because it doesn't make any sense that a guy you have worked with, have developed, and is an important part of your team you suddenly lose before your season is over," Fagan said.

"We coped well [losing Bolton] because of the way we set up our coaching structure, but it is not ideal.

"It also stops those awkward conversations between a bloke who works at your club and is trying to go for another job and to go for interviews.

"You support them all the way, but in our own minds, we thought we'd be able to keep Brendon until our campaign was over and we were optimistic about that and then that changed because he got appointed."

Complicating the  picture was the fact the Hawks played Carlton in the last round and so it presented the unusual prospect of the new Carlton coach sitting in the Hawthorn box coaching to beat the Blues.

"We played them in round 23 so it was awkward for him, awkward for us. The common sense thing was to do what we did," Fagan said.

He said that  invariably when new coaches are appointed they wanted to immediately start work at their new club and mentally move on from the job they are in. He said if rules banned coaches being signed before a certain time, protected by heavy fines for breaches, it would remove this concern.

"I think there needs to be dates put on it so perhaps you can't approach anybody until the home-and-away season is over and you can't make appointments until the finals are over, so at least there is some sanity about it."

The AFL Coaches Association is already exploring options such as the rules being suggested.

"We want our blokes to get other jobs, we want them to be senior coaches but we do not want to lose them until the season is over," Fagan said.

"If there are three clubs looking for a coach they all get a bit panicky thinking they will lose the bloke they want, so they go early on their decisions. If there are rules that they can't do anything until a date it will cut that out."

Bolton's position is the only vacancy on the Hawks' coaching panel. His role was filled by Damian Carroll  and he could be a permanent replacement.

"Either way Damian will be in development or a line coach," Fagan said.