Nathan Bassett denies Bombers meeting as Norwood prepares to chase a replacement

NORWOOD has a contingency plan it intends to move on as soon as Monday as it sweats on whether coach Nathan Bassett lands a job in the AFL.

NORWOOD has a contingency plan it intends to move on as soon as Monday as it sweats on whether coach Nathan Bassett lands a job in the AFL where Essendon and Hawthorn have emerged as possibilities.

The Redlegs have made a list of candidates they want to approach for the top job at The Parade but are frustrated that Bassett, who is contracted to coach the club for next season, is yet to inform them of his intentions.

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But that is because even Bassett himself doesn't know what he's doing beyond Sunday's grand final against North Adelaide.

On Saturday he denied reports that Essendon officials flew to Adelaide to speak with him on Wednesday and he declined to reveal which AFL clubs he had spoken to at all.

"I don't think there's any need to say who you meet with and who you don't," Bassett told the Sunday Mail at the SANFL grand final parade.

"I just keep doing my job and if someone offers me another job I look at that job and either accept that or don't accept it.

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"I reckon you guys (media) would know before I did if I did have a job.

"I think it's more about AFL timing, Adam Simpson changing clubs and other clubs working out what their structure is going to look like ... and they're in the middle of trade week as well.

"I'll probably know in two weeks where I'm working, that's realistically, if you haven't got a job within two weeks of the SANFL grand final you're probably not getting one."

If Bassett joins Essendon, which is restructuring its coaching department in the wake of James Hird's suspension, he could reunite with former Crows teammate Simon Goodwin, while AFL premier Hawthorn needs to replace assistant Adam Simpson who has landed the West Coast job.

Included on Norwood's list of targets is former assistant coach Jarrod Cotton, who is also believed to be in North Adelaide's sights to replace Sydney-bound Josh Francou.

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But Redlegs president Joe Tripodi said head coaching vacancies at West Adelaide, Glenelg, South Adelaide and North complicated the process.

"We're a bit desperate to know because October will be over and November we start training," Tripodi said.

"We've always had that in mind (Bassett leaving) but what's happened is a lot of other clubs are without coaches and we haven't been able to move.

"Guys we have in mind may take other jobs.

"He (Bassett) is contracted for next year but if he gets a job (AFL) we're not going to stand in his way, but we would liked to have known.

"Once the grand final is over hopefully on Monday he'll tell us."

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