ST KILDA president Rod Butterss would not meet with former coach Grant Thomas to discuss the pair's public spat because he was worried he would be assaulted, Thomas claimed yesterday.

A telephone call between the two former friends has become the latest flashpoint in a running battle played out in public during the week.

Butterss told The Age on Friday that he had called Thomas, asking if the pair could meet to resolve their differences. He said the former coach had refused to meet with him.

Yesterday, Thomas hit back, saying the meeting had not gone ahead because Butterss insisted on each man bringing a chaperone.

Thomas told The Age Butterss had suggested the pair meet at The Deck bar, a Brighton restaurant, but Thomas told the Saints president he was "delusional" because the meeting would immediately attract media attention.

Thomas said he had asked for a private meeting but that Butterss refused because "he thought I may have done something to him physically, was his concern. He felt that I may have, I don't know, punched him on the beak", he told radio station SEN.

The latest flare-up between the two men came after Butterss warned Thomas on radio during the week to keep a distance from the club, saying he was worried the former coach was exerting an unhealthy influence on players and sponsors.

Thomas, who said on Friday that his lawyers were considering whether Butterss' statements were libellous, said he would never physically threaten or hurt Butterss.

"I'm not the sort of person that has fights with other people physically and I definitely wouldn't have a fight with Rod Butterss. He's not the sort of person that I believe can defend himself physically." Thomas said he had played football with Butterss and "he's a lover not a fighter".

Thomas also denied he was maintaining regular contact with Saints players.

"I don't ring players, I do not make contact with players and, in fact, they very sparingly, if ever, contact me," he said.

"The contact, I've got no idea what they're talking about … it is all innuendo."

Thomas added he had not spoken to player manager Ricky Nixon about the contract of Saints star Nick Riewoldt.

He also said there appeared to be "a degree of paranoia" that he did not understand. Thomas said Saints chief executive Archie Fraser had called SEN on Friday to find out who was appearing with the former Saints coach.

"Why would a CEO ring SEN and ask 'who's with Grant on SEN?' " Thomas said. "That to me is bordering on paranoid behaviour."

The former Saints coach said he believed the pair would eventually meet to discuss their differences but said legal issues would dictate how and when the meeting took place.

Butterss did not return calls from The Age last night.