CLUBS seeking new senior coaches have been urged to respect finals-bound teams when interviewing candidates, with a potential race looming if Gold Coast and Collingwood were to both seek replacements at the end of this season.
After a push from the AFL Coaches Association for anti-tampering rules was unsuccessful last year, there are no formal restrictions on clubs from interviewing candidates before the end of the season or during their rivals' September campaigns.
The Magpies this week guaranteed that no decision would be made on Nathan Buckley's future until after round 23, but Rodney Eade expects to learn his fate before the end of the home-and-away season. Both coaches are coming out of contract.
It means both clubs, which are conducting formal reviews into their football operations, could be searching for the best candidate during the finals in a situation with the potential to upset their rivals at the pointy end of the season.
Powerful coach and player agent Craig Kelly said he expected clubs to follow unofficial guidelines that meant the candidate's current employer should not have their finals campaign impacted.
The TLA Australia CEO said club bosses should first seek permission to interview a rival's coach and only go ahead if it was convenient for all parties.
"If that made sense and everyone was comfortable for that to take place and they had time, they'd do it," Kelly told AFL.com.au.
"If not, it would have to wait for an appropriate time for the current club who is paying his wage.
"It's just common sense where respect applies between all parties.
"It's not to say you can't have conversations or start to think about things, but an actual interview process has to line up with everyone."
TLA Australia manages 16 assistant coaches, including leading candidates for future senior coaching roles in Stuart Dew (Sydney) and John Barker (Carlton). The company also manages six senior coaches, including Buckley.
Kelly said anti-tampering rules had been hard to implement because it was "a restraint of opportunity and trade" but clubs had become "more transparent and respectful" in their search for new coaches.
Still, anti-tampering rules were knocked on the head by club CEOs last year, leaving no formal requirement for clubs to wait until the end of the season to interview candidates.
There is an acknowledgement among clubs that discussions between managers and clubs, and initial "fire-side chats" about a coach's future, would still happen in a confidential manner.
There has been some concern within football departments previously when assistant coaches are lost in-season after being appointed at a rival club.
Brendon Bolton vacated his position at Hawthorn after being appointed Carlton's senior coach on the verge of the 2015 final series.
In the same season, Adelaide appointed West Coast assistant Don Pyke after he had completed his duties with the Eagles through to that year's Grand Final.
The Brisbane Lions were the only club searching for a new senior coach last year and had the luxury of appointing Chris Fagan in early October, conducting interviews when it was convenient for their rivals.
Coaches at top-eight clubs this year who could be approached include Simon Lloyd (Geelong), Matthew Nicks (Port Adelaide), Adam Kingsley (St Kilda) and Dew (Sydney).
Clubs are also on notice that the August 1 deadline remains in place to notify uncontracted assistant coaches if they will be offered a deal for 2018.
