AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan was forced to intervene in a messy off-season stoush between Gold Coast and North Melbourne.

The club’s feud was over a fight for the services of Brad Scott, coach of North Melbourne since 2010 and contracted through to the end of 2016.

After sacking Guy McKenna, Gold Coast approached Sydney Swans premiership coach John Longmire, and Scott, who is friends with Suns’ football operations boss Marcus Ashcroft.

North Melbourne CEO Carl Dilena was so incensed with the approach that he rang McLachlan to formally complain about the Suns and asked how an AFL funded club could make an offer to a contracted coach. 

Kangaroos chairman James Brayshaw told The Footy Show the Suns were out of line to approach Scott the way they did.

“We all know that people are trying to poach from everywhere, that’s the environment,” he said. 

“Our issue was, two and a half years is a long time left on a contract, we thought it was a bit rich that another club was basically trying to entice our coach away when he had that long to go.

“Brad’s behaviour was impeccable and so was (manager) Craig Kelly’s, we had no issue with any of that.

“Carl had every right to speak to Gill McLachlan.”

Scott confirmed the approach when asked by The Footy Show.

“I want to make this abundantly clear - I told the Suns I was contracted and committed to North,” he said.

“Straight away I raised it with North. I wanted to make it crystal clear to them what had happened and I wanted them to hear it from me, not anyone else.

“I put the facts on the table and told them I had no interest in it."

The Suns later appointed Rodney Eade as the man to coach them for the 2015 season.