MARK Thompson has emerged as a dark horse for the vacant senior coach's position at the Western Bulldogs.
After weeks of speculation about his future, Thompson officially moved on from Essendon on Wednesday, having failed to agree on a new role after James Hird's return from suspension as senior coach.
Bulldogs champion Luke Darcy, who is on the panel to select Brendan McCartney's replacement at the Whitten Oval, says the club could now sound out Thompson.
"I think, given we haven't finished the process at the Bulldogs, you'd have to think about it,' Darcy told Triple M on Thursday morning.
"The time that he was in contract, that precludes you from having those conversations.
"Again, that's a matter for the whole committee."
Darcy said it would be "a waste to the game" for Thompson - a two-time premiership coach at Geelong who also coached the Bombers in 2014 - not to be involved in football next year.
"You look at his coaching record … it is off the charts. It is an amazing record in football," he said.
"For someone like that to be not involved actively, it just seems as though that is a waste to the game.
"So the answer is 'Yes' (we will speak to him)."
The Bulldogs' coach selection committee – Darcy, football director Chris Grant, CEO Simon Garlick, football manager Graham Lowe and former West Coach coach John Worsfold – is believed to be closing in on appointing a successor to McCartney.
Luke Beveridge, St Kilda's new director of football, is the hot favourite to take the reins, ahead of Bulldogs assistant Brett Montgomery.
Beveridge boasts an impressive coaching CV, which includes spending the past three seasons as backline coach at back-to-back premiers Hawthorn.
