RODNEY Eade is weighing up an offer to coach Gold Coast.
AFL.com.au understands the Suns have approached the 56-year-old about filling the vacant coaching position as the club finalises its replacement for the sacked Guy McKenna.
However it is understood he is yet to formally commit to the Suns' top job.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire addressed the issue on Tuesday, saying the Suns had not contacted the Magpies about their interest.
"They've (Gold Coast) been coming to him, it hasn't been 'Rocket' auditioning or applying for a job," McGuire said on Triple M.
"So they've shown interest and we know that that's the situation, so we'll just let it unfold.
"But at some stage someone from the Gold Coast, if they don't want to get an inducement to break a contract blister, want to make a phone call to the executive of the Collingwood Football Club and do it the right way."
McGuire also suggested the AFL's newly introduced spending cap on football departments made the move more complicated.
"When you've got people on long-term contracts and you've got your planning in place, then to do a deal, you have to do a deal," he said.
"And part of that would be they'd want to be paying part of his fee."
Melbourne radio station 3AW reported Eade has been offered a four-year deal to coach the Suns, with an announcement to come within the coming days.
However Eade's management denied he had accepted the position when contacted by AFL.com.au on Monday night.
A Suns spokesman told AFL.com.au on Monday night the club was yet to make its appointment.
"The process to select our next coach remains ongoing. Once it has been completed we will advise accordingly," the spokesman said.
Assistant coaches Dean Solomon and Andy Lovell have reportedly already gone through their interviews, but Eade was the standout candidate.
Eade had previously stated publicly he was content to stay at Collingwood as its director of football, but the Suns have one of the League's best lists and are understood to be seeking an experienced coach to lead them to the club's first premiership.
The Age reported that the club's selection panel – including CEO Andrew Travis, football boss Marcus Ashcroft and football director Malcolm Blight – flew into Melbourne on Monday to formally interview the former Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs coach.
Eade played with and coached the Brisbane Bears reserves side in the early 1990s and has a strong relationship with Suns football boss and former Bears teammate Marcus Ashcroft.
He also worked alongside Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton at the Western Bulldogs.
Eade is employed by Collingwood as its director of football, a role he began in 2013. Eade held the position of football and coaching strategist at Collingwood for the two years previous.
Eade coached the Sydney Swans in 152 matches from 1996 to 2002, leading to the Swans to 81 wins, 69 losses and two draws in his seven years at the helm.
He took over the top job at the Bulldogs in 2005. His coaching record at Whitten Oval yielded 88 wins, 72 losses and two draws.
The veteran coach led the Swans to the Grand Final in 1996, only to fall short against North Melbourne. He also took the Bulldogs to three straight preliminary finals appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
