WESTERN Bulldogs president Peter Gordon says the club hasn't interviewed anyone for its vacant senior coach position but it has fielded plenty of interest.
The Bulldogs parted ways with coach Brendan McCartney late last week while disgruntled skipper Ryan Griffen is determined to follow him out the door, seeking a fresh start.
Gordon said football director Chris Grant and chief executive Simon Garlick had started the process to select McCartney's successor.
He has a clear idea of what the Bulldogs needed, with the club seeking a coach to help it take the next step after finishing 14th this season.
Gordon believes McCartney was the right man for the job when he was appointed ahead of the 2012 season but now, they need someone with a different skill set.
"Macca was a great choice back in 2012 because clearly we were at the start of a rebuild and he's clearly one of the best if not the best development coaches," Gordon told radio station SEN.
"He was ideal for the start of a rebuild.
"At this point we're beyond that, we're three years down the track and I think the senior coach we are looking for will be one that allows us to compete.
"We lost five games by less than two goals so we're not that far away and I think we'll be looking for a coach who mixes the development side of things with the strategic and competitive elements."
Mark Thompson, a two-time premiership coach who worked alongside McCartney at Geelong, is comfortably the most accomplished candidate on the market.
Gordon said Bulldogs assistant Brett Montgomery, listed by at least one betting agency as the favourite for the vacancy, was in the mix.
Club legend Scott West and Hawthorn assistants Brendan Bolton and Brett Ratten make up the most likely five candidates.
West's coaching experience is limited to two seasons as VFL club Werribee's senior coach and three years as an assistant at Melbourne.
The seven-time Bulldogs best-and-fairest winner spent last season as an ABC commentator but has been linked strongly to the senior role.
