Richmond will allow assistant Mark Williams to be interviewed for the Melbourne coaching job Jon Ralph
From: Herald Sun
July 17, 2013 10:00PMRICHMOND will give its blessing for Mark Williams to be interviewed by Melbourne's coaching sub-committee despite strict new AFL Coaches Association rules.
The Demons have formed a five-man committee and alerted the management of Richmond's Mark Williams and Collingwood's Rodney Eade of their preliminary interest.
Melbourne has taken on face value Paul Roos' statement he will not coach this year, but now face restrictions brought about by the new AFLCA memorandum of understanding.
Collingwood has made it clear it will not allow even the smallest distraction to its premiership tilt after losing Mark Neeld in the finals in 2011.
The new rules when ratified by the AFL will mean appointments made during finals must be delayed until that coach has exited the finals race.
It will also see clubs seeking to interview assistant coaches contact that person's current club as a courtesy, with some potential restrictions on when assistants can be interviewed.
But while the Pies are playing hardball, Richmond will allow Williams to be interviewed during the home-and-away season.
It would be shattered to lose him given his input this year, but will consent to him being interviewed in the home-and-away season as long as it is not a distraction.
Eade has made it clear that while he still has the fire in the belly to become a senior coach, he will not let anything distract from Collingwood's finals campaign.
His manager Phil Mullen said yesterday he had been contacted by Jackson but not asked about an interview time for Eade.
"I don't know what the (AFLPA) procedure is. I know it's changed recently. He just said we are making contact with you and up the track we will make further contact with you. That's the only conversation we have had, and it was a little while ago now. His priority right now is his role at Collingwood, and it will remain that way.
"He is happy in the role there, and all of his energies are going into that. I think Melbourne has to make a decision as to whether they have interest. I don't have an indication right now that they are going to do that or not.''
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