FORMER Melbourne coach Neale Daniher has held "very preliminary" discussions about a possible role with the new Gold Coast club.

Daniher yesterday confirmed that he had held talks with those "representing the Gold Coast (team)" but indicated that he was not interested in pursuing the vacant development coaching position that had been offered to Michael Voss as a prelude to coaching the new club.

Daniher also has been sounded out about a possible role in a revamped West Coast football department, as the ex-Demon coach contemplates the possibility of a broader role than coaching at club level.

The Eagles are understood to be considering Daniher for a football operations or mentoring role.

"It's been very exploratory from both sides," said Daniher of the possible Gold Coast role, adding there had been "no offers" from AFL Queensland. He said the talks were about ascertaining whether there might be a role for him.

Daniher, who has stepped out of day-to-day involvement with a club to run the AFL coaches association, has been sounded out about a non-coaching role with the Gold Coast club, which is believed to be making a play for Geelong chief executive Brian Cook.

"There's been an inquiry. I've had a brief chat," Daniher said of the Gold Coast discussions.

Daniher said he was not interested in the development coaching role, which Voss spurned on the grounds that his contract offer would only assure him of one year as senior coach, in 2011.

The Gold Coast consortium have been working in concert with senior AFL officials on their shopping list for off-field appointments.

With Voss having withdrawn to take the West Coast assistant coaching role, the Gold Coast consortium and the AFL can consider either a pure development coach — who has no realistic possibility of becoming the senior coach — or seek to attract a candidate who could move from the development role to coach the infant club when it enters the competition in 2011.

Daniher has been occupied with seeking to strike a historic agreement with the AFL on minimum terms and conditions for coaches, including assistant coaches, on behalf of the coaches association.

The GC17 bid, headed by local businessmen and football figures including ex-Lions chairman Graeme Downie, had expressed interest in hiring an experienced former coach, such as Neil Balme, to fill a role in the football department.

It was assumed that the Balme-type role would also act as a mentor to Voss, in the event that he was appointed as coach-in-waiting.

While Voss has accepted the Eagles' job many within the football industry believe he remains a contender to be the inaugural coach of the new club in 2011.