Geelong’s 2011 AFL premiership captain Cameron Ling says he lacks the total commitment required to be an assistant coach with Melbourne under Paul Roos next season.
The struggling Demons appointed Sydney’s 2005 premiership coach Roos on Friday on a two-year deal, turning attention to his potential list of assistants.
Ling’s name has been mentioned alongside Sydney assistant Leigh Tudor, but triple-premiership player Ling says the mind-set required to be an assistant coach is beyond him at the moment.
“I’m really enjoying what I’m doing now and I’m pretty keen to do that again for another year next year,” media commentator Ling said on Sunday on Seven’s Game Day program.
“I’m probably not ready to be jumping in to coaching. It’s something you’ve got to be really excited about and I reckon there’s a couple of other guys who’d be better for that.”
Ling turned the spotlight onto his fellow panellist Michael Voss, the sacked Brisbane coach.
Voss has ruled out any return to the Lions, who failed to secure Roos as his replacement.
“I’d be more than happy just to trundle along and be an assistant somewhere,” Voss said.
“Our younger kids are getting into high school so where we go to next, we want to really plant our feet and stay there for a while.”
Voss said the Lions were keen to employ Brownlow Medallist Simon Black as an assistant, if the club’s 34-year-old games record-holder retired.
“If he did retire, they’d like to get him as a coach in some capacity,” Voss said.