St Kilda begins interviews for new coach, no sign of Robert Harvey Jon Ralph
From: Herald Sun
November 08, 2013 10:00PMMARK Williams is the raging favourite for St Kilda's senior role, but club legend Robert Harvey will not be the successor to sacked coach Scott Watters.
St Kilda has interviewed a handful of candidates this week and expects to start second-round interviews as early as Monday.
But while Harvey was raised as a contender last week, it is understood he has not been contacted by the St Kilda coaching selection panel.
He has an expanded role as a senior assistant at Collingwood and is happy at the Westpac Centre.
The dual Brownlow medallist is aware he still needs to grow in his role and will be handed considerable responsibilities by Nathan Buckley over the coming pre-season.
Port Adelaide premiership coach Williams has been one of a handful of senior assistants interviewed already since Watters' sacking last Monday.
Port Adelaide senior assistant Alan Richardson told St Kilda days ago he was not interested, with current Saints assistants Adam Kingsley and Simon McPhee also interviewed by the panel.
Ex-Carlton coach Brett Ratten has not been contacted and former Brisbane coach Michael Voss is also set for a TV special comments role rather than returning to coaching next year.
It is not known if ex-Essendon coach Matthew Knights is still be considered, or if other left-field candidates have emerged.
But Williams clearly has the rails run, as industry figures scoffed at talk Richmond might stop him from moving to a senior coaching role.
AFL Coaches' Association boss Danny Frawley said yesterday there was no precedent for a club to stop an assistant coach being promoted to a head role elsewhere.
"If a coach at another club gets approved by St Kilda and offered the job I think the industry would see fit to have him released to a senior position,'' he told the Herald Sun.
"It would not be ideal to lose a senior person this late but I would have thought if someone gets a senior coaching role, their club would release them."
St Kilda is not believed to be interested in a succession plan, but is aware if Williams was to be appointed he would need strong direction from the football department.
He is a football genius but with a strong eccentric streak, with Richmond coach Damien Hardwick and Brendon Gale both jokingly describing him as "mad" this year.
Williams case was pushed by new defender Josh Bruce yesterday, who played under him at Greater Western Sydney.
"Choco was great," Bruce said yesterday.
"He's a really good teacher of young players. I think he'd be quite suitable for this group, as well as many other coaches who've been thrown up there.
"If Choco were to come to the Saints, obviously he'd be welcomed here with open arms and I'd love to be under his tutelage again. He's a fantastic coach."
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