JOHN Barker remains in the hunt for the full-time Carlton coaching job with the search not limited to four names, according to Blues boss Steven Trigg.

The Blues plan to finalise their coaching appointment by the end of August, leaving top-four clubs with a decision to make ahead of this year's finals series.

Fremantle, Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans each boast a leading contender for the Carlton position on their coaching staff, with Simon Lloyd, Brendon Bolton and Stuart Dew on the trimmed shortlist.

In protocols agreed to before Carlton's search started, there was a push from senior coaches to have the right to retain their assistants until the end of the season, assuming an appointment is made on the Blues' new timeline.  

Trigg said the club's process for its next coach would ramp up in the next "three to four weeks" with multiple candidates still to work through.

"No, we're not down to four yet. We've still got a fair bit of work to do, we're really pleased with the way it's been going and the quality of the good number of candidates we've been talking to," he told Footy Classified.

"I don't want to put numbers on it, I certainly don't want to put names to it.

"We're working really hard at making the very best assessments we can. Now it's a matter of getting in behind it so we can start to shortlist."

Trigg played down the impact of Friday night's record 138-point defeat on interim coach Barker's chances of winning the job on a permanent basis.

"One swallow doesn't make a summer," he said.

"He's doing a really good job under somewhat difficult circumstances given the composition of our list and the absentees. It'll play out over the next three or four weeks as to how it all finishes up.

"It's interesting; Friday night, I contemplated Friday night as all Carlton supporters would've.

"I'd expect if you put the very successful and highly reputable Alastair Clarkson in front of the Blue crew for the night and the Carlton coach went over to the brown and gold box you might still get the same result."

Trigg emerged from a 90-minute meeting with the AFL Commission on Tuesday where Blues officials – including president Mark LoGiudice – presented.

Trigg described it as a simple "relationship builder", with the Blues outlining their own plans for the future and querying the league's contentious luxury tax. 

With Adelaide now in the hunt for its own senior coach for 2016 following the death of Phil Walsh, Trigg denied his former club's position had pushed the Blues to speed up its process. 

"No, but we're certainly keeping an eye on what they're doing just to be mindful of what they're up to, especially for a club who went through that process eight months ago. 

"It hasn't changed our plan at all."

Carlton has held interviews with more than 20 coaches, but Lloyd, Bolton and Dew are now seen as the external favourites to be appointed.