West Coast coach John Worsfold claims he will explore the possibility of joining a rival AFL club if he isn't re-signed by the Eagles.
Worsfold is out of contract at the end of this year but has told the club's hierarchy he wants to coach on next season.
West Coast chairman Alan Cransberg has already declared the club is keen for Worsfold stay on, meaning a new deal should be finalised soon.
But if for some reason negotiations break down, Worsfold says he would have no hesitation joining a rival club.
And with Melbourne and Brisbane on the lookout for a new senior coach, Worsfold would be hot property on the open market, along with former Sydney coach Paul Roos.
Worsfold said money wouldn't be a factor in his decision on where to coach.
But length of deal could be a sticking point for the 12th-year coach.
"If I wanted to coach, would I coach somewhere else? Absolutely I would," Worsfold said on Wednesday.
"Alan Cransberg has made it public that they're keen for me to coach on if I've got the passion, and I've indicated that I'm keen to coach on.
"At this stage, things are starting to line-up.
"My focus is on what's best for the footy club - what they need, what they're looking for.
"If I fit into that, that would be great. And if I don't, other great things open up."
Worsfold said he was surprised to learn of Brisbane's decision to axe coach Michael Voss.
Voss signed on to become an assistant under Worsfold in 2008, but abandoned those plans after being offered the top job at Brisbane.
Worsfold has a good relationship with Voss, and contacted the former Lions skipper on Tuesday night to send through his condolences.
But the chances of Voss linking up with West Coast as an assistant next year appear slim, with Worsfold saying there aren't any roles to fill at the minute.
That could change if highly-rated assistant coach Scott Burns lands a top job at a rival club at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Worsfold confirmed Mark LeCras would miss Saturday night's clash with Geelong in Perth after sustaining two fractured ribs in last week's win over Essendon.
LeCras, who played through the pain in that match to boot five second-half goals, could return as early as next week's clash with Collingwood at the MCG.
Midfielder Luke Shuey will return from a hamstring injury against the Cats, while Andrew Embley, Matt Rosa and Adam Selwood are also in line for recalls.
10th-placed West Coast need Essendon to be stripped of their premiership points if they are to be a realistic chance of reaching the finals.
