Laidley drops out as Tigers contenderGreg Denham | August 17, 2009
FORMER North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley will not be an applicant for the vacant Richmond coaching position.
Following discussions with Tigers general manager of football operations Craig Cameron on Friday and Saturday, Laidley chose not to be part of Richmond's interview process.
"We had a chat and Dean decided it was not the direction he wanted to go in," Cameron said yesterday.
Laidley, who recently returned to Melbourne after holidaying in the US, said he was keen to work for an AFL club, possibly as a director of coaching, after resigning from the Kangaroos two months ago. He is weighing up several options from at least two Melbourne-based clubs.
Richmond was prepared to invite Laidley on to its short list of coaching candidates, which has been narrowed to Damien Hardwick, Ken Hinkley, Jade Rawlings and Alan Richardson.
Hardwick, who with Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott heads the running for the vacant North Melbourne job, and Richardson had their second interviews with Richmond last week.
Caretaker coach Rawlings will have his second interview today, while Geelong assistant Hinkley will front the Tigers' coaching sub-committee later this week.
Richmond is keen to retain Rawlings as an assistant next year should he be beaten for the senior post. Ideally, the Tigers want Rawlings, who is contracted at Punt Road next year, to remain with fellow assistant coach Wayne Campbell.
However, Richmond will replace current assistants David King and Brian Royal, and will more than likely expand its assistant coach numbers from four to five in 2010.
Former captain Kane Johnson, who retired this season, could be offered a full-time assistant coaching role at Punt Road next year. He is currently working as a part-time development coach.
North Melbourne remains highly likely to announce its replacement for Laidley well before Richmond announces its full-time replacement for Terry Wallace, with the Kangaroos expected to act as early as today.
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