RETIRED St Kilda great Robert Harvey has been in discussions with Collingwood and Carlton about joining their coaching panels next year.

Harvey also has spoken to St Kilda coach Ross Lyon about a possible coaching role with the club he played with for the past 21 years.

Harvey has not yet received formal offers from the Magpies or Blues, but his management yesterday indicated he was most interested in a role in development coaching and working with younger players.

Harvey's manager, Shane Casley of Elite Sports Properties, yesterday confirmed that the dual Brownlow medallist had been in contact with Collingwood, Carlton and the Saints about potential coaching roles.

Casley said that development coaching and tutoring young players were Harvey's preferred options in the event that he pursued a coaching career.

Casley added that, since his retirement, Harvey had briefly assisted the Australian Institute of Sport's academy squad. Michael Voss, now Brisbane's senior coach, and another prospective senior coach, Nathan Buckley, have both assisted in coaching the AIS squad this year.

Harvey, 37, is not yet decided on which of the clubs provides the best fit. He already has a Frankston sports store in partnership with Shane Warne and Aaron Hamill.

A vacancy has opened up at St Kilda following the exit of assistant coach Anthony Rock, who has returned to North Melbourne as part of Dean Laidley's team. Rock, who has been an assistant at Melbourne and St Kilda, played with Laidley and another assistant, Darren Crocker, in North's 1996 premiership team.

Collingwood, having lost Guy McKenna to the new Gold Coast club, is in the market for an experienced assistant coach and is also seeking to replace chief development coach Alan Richardson, who has joined Essendon as an assistant coach.

Hawthorn assistant Todd Viney has signed with Adelaide for the next three seasons.