FORMER Western Bulldogs favourite son Scott West said he would love the opportunity to return to the club as senior coach.

West is completing his apprenticeship in an assistant coaching role with Melbourne, but admits he harbours the desire to become a career coach.

The seven-time club best and fairest winner with the Bulldogs told Triple M radio on Sunday he was keen to put his hand up for the vacant post at his former club.

"It's something I aspire to do, I guess the romance in going back to the club you played with - I spent 19 years there - would be great," West said.

"I certainly understand I'm in the apprenticeship stages of coaching and learning, but you just don't know."

West has worked as the midfield coach this year and has received glowing endorsements for the way he has worked with the young Melbourne midfielders, including Tom Scully.

He said he would have loved the opportunity to make his mark in the interim Melbourne position, left vacant after Dean Bailey's removal.

"Getting that on the job experience would have been great, but I certainly understand why they went down the path of Todd," he said.

While West acknowledges he has limited senior coaching experience, he said he has confidence in his ability to take the next step to senior coaching.

"There's no real set pathway to become a senior coach and I think if you've got the confidence in your ability to coach and manage people and show leadership, those things count a lot," he said.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure where I fit in at all, but it would be nice to get back there [the Bulldogs] one day."

West admitted he didn't know what to expect if given the chance to present his coaching blueprint to a prospective club.

"I've got no idea to be honest," he said.

"I haven't been through the process, as a young coach, and I guess you've got to be careful about how many times you put your hat in the ring and how many jobs you go for and miss."

However, West believed it would be an important step in his path to senior coaching.

"I certainly would think the experience of going through that process of your presentation to a board, to faces who are looking at you and wanting answers at their football club, would be invaluable at any stage of your coaching career," he said.

"It's certainly something I'll be asking people questions about, so hopefully I get the right advice about how to present if I have to at any stage."

One of the favourites for the Western Bulldogs senior coaching position is Hawthorn assistant Leon Cameron, and West believes he will be tough to beat.

"There's no doubt he's done the hard yards to [become] coach," West said.

"I've heard nothing but good things about what he's done at Hawthorn."