SEVERAL clubs are jostling for the services of former Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson as he considers returning to an AFL club after two years in charge of the AFL Academy.

Collingwood is considered the front-runner to secure the services of the 42-year-old, who coached the Crows to the 2012 preliminary final in his three years at the club.

Sanderson is in demand elsewhere, with Melbourne one club understood to have expressed interest in his services as an assistant coach as they prepare to make a tilt at the finals in 2017. Other Victorian clubs are also believed to have sounded him out.

Sanderson, who also had a strong record at Geelong as an assistant coach after playing 209 AFL games (199 at the Cats), has successfully overseen the development of the country's best young players in recent years through the AIS.

The coaching merry go-round will gather pace after the final game, with Collingwood unable to guarantee assistant coach Ben Hart his contract would be renewed for 2017.

Hart started at the Magpies in 2012 after 311 games and four years coaching with Adelaide, and has been responsible for Collingwood's defence in 2016.

The 41-year-old Hart, who was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in June, is understood to be settled in Melbourne and keen to continue his coaching career in Victoria, whether at the Magpies or at another club.

AFL.com.au understands Magpies' assistant coach Steve Grace is also a chance to part ways with Collingwood after three seasons with the club, moving from development coach to assistant coach looking after forwards.

The respected Grace coached at Fremantle before joining the Magpies, and had coached Oakleigh in the TAC Cup.

Clubs were required on August 1 to give their assistants an indication of whether they would be re-contracted the following year.

Although clubs can still retain coaches despite not guaranteeing their position, the convention allows assistant coaches who are coming out of contract to seek opportunities elsewhere with their current club's blessing.

There is expected to be a high turnover of coaches, with Richmond one club unable to guarantee its assistant coaches contracts beyond 2016.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has had a relatively stable set of assistants since he began as senior coach in 2012 including senior assistant Robert Harvey, Hart, Scott Burns and Grace, with development assistants Tarkyn Lockyer, Anthony Rocca and Jared Rivers.