Former Fremantle Dockers coach Ross Lyon won’t rule himself out of North Melbourne role left by David Noble

Former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has not ruled out making a return to coaching at North Melbourne, but has urged the club to throw the net far and wide in search of its new boss.

Lyon hasn’t coached since the penultimate round of 2019, when he was dumped by the Dockers, and has settled into a well-received role as a media analyst based in Melbourne.

North Melbourne coach David Noble stepped down this week as the club limped to just one win from their first 16 games this year.

But interim coach and former player Leigh Adams led the Roos to a stirring victory against Richmond in his first game in charge on Saturday.

Lyon said he was humbled to have been linked to the job, but was non-committal when pressed on whether or not he would take the job if it was offered to him.

“It’s gratifying that you get mentioned in dispatches. We have all got an ego and it is nice recognition of years of hard work I suppose,” he told Triple M.

“Let me tell you one thing I do know — it’s not about money. It is an interesting seat — not the Kangaroos seat, the AFL coaching seat.

“I am a bit uncomfortable in my role as a media commentator... I’m not in a position to give you anything definitive.”

Lyon has been backed by North legend Wayne Carey for the job.

He is one of a number of highly-credentialed coaches in the frame for the role, including Hawthorn legend and former Shinboner Alastair Clarkson.

The former Dockers and St Kilda boss said Saturday’s victory left him optimistic about the Kangaroos’ future.

“We saw it yesterday, there are some green shoots there, but as David Noble said and I think there is a bit of pain, who knows?” Lyon said.

“That’s what I loved about Denis Pagan, loved about Clarko, put the best effort in, get a game plan and who knows, anything can happen.”

The four-time grand final coach also urged the club to make contact with Port Adelaide premiership boss and Melbourne assistant Mark Williams.

“They need to canvas wide-ranging (options) and speak to the Mark Williams and they are doing that and speaking to Eddie (McGuire) and all of that,” Lyon said.

Collingwood great and former coach Nathan Buckley, who is also enjoying a successful stint in the media, ruled himself out of the job after pictures emerged of him meeting with North chief executive and “good friend” Ben Amarfio.

“Absolutely not. I’m not interested in coaching at all,” he told Fox Footy.