North Melbourne chief executive Ben Amarfio says his walk with former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has “zero interest” in coaching in 2023, despite the pair spotted meeting in Melbourne on Friday.

The Kangaroos are on the hunt for a new coach after David Noble and the club parted ways this week after just 38 games.

Social media lit up when a picture of Amarfio and Buckley together was posted on social media on Friday, causing speculation that the latter could end up at the club.

This was shot down by Amarfio, who told Newscorp: “Nathan has zero interest in coaching. I knew that before our walk (on Friday).”

It is understood that Buckley and Amarfio are good friends.

Buckley was on the record recently saying he won’t be coaching in 2023.

“I don’t feel the need to bring that stress back into my life at this point,” he said.

“If I don’t have that in my heart then I can’t do it for myself first and foremost, but I wouldn’t be doing the right thing by an organisation walking in if you were three-quarters ready.

“I can’t see myself doing it next year.”

It comes just 24 hours after West Coast coach Adam Simpson shut the door on a potential return to the Kangaroos, where he played more than 300 games and won two premierships.

“I haven’t spoken to North at all, for a long time. I’m fully invested in what we’re doing here (at West Coast),” Simpson said on Thursday.

“There will be a time that I get tapped on the shoulder but at the moment, I’m contracted and I’m up for the fight. It’s going to be a long road for us and it’ll be silly to look sideways at the moment.

“They’re working through what they’ve got to work through and we’ve got our own issues at the moment so it’s the last thing on my mind, honestly.

“I thought we shut it (the door) a while ago and just because there’s a change in the narrative at North doesn’t change mine.”