The Richmond coaching search has taken further shape, with two well-respected assistants reportedly telling the Tigers they won't take part in the process.
Richmond have built a shortlist of candidates for the job to succeed triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick, who resigned from the role in May after 14 years at Punt Road.
Assistant Andrew McQualter has since taken on the senior coaching position on an interim basis, with his dress rehearsal in the hot seat seeing the Tigers' caretaker coach emerge as the favourite for the vacancy.
McQualter will be required to go through the process after showing his interest in the job, with the 37-year-old to face some competition from assistant coaches across the AFL.
It has been revealed that former Richmond captain and Hawthorn assistant Chris Newman is set to take part in the coaching process, while Port Adelaide assistant Josh Carr has opted to remain in South Australia.
Now, according to AFL.com.au, two more assistants seen to be potential candidates for the Richmond job can also be ruled out, with Fremantle's Jaymie Graham and Melbourne's Troy Chaplin understood not to have lodged their candidacy.
Chaplin was flagged as a potential runner to succeed Hardwick, his former senior coach during a four-year stint in the yellow and black, shortly after the champion coach's resignation, with Chaplin having built a strong coaching career since retiring with the Tigers in 2016.
The Demons assistant played a part in the club's drought-breaking premiership campaign in 2021 and has been a trusted lieutenant for Simon Goodwin, having joined Melbourne the same year he announced his retirement after 215 games with Port Adelaide and Richmond.
Chaplin, who was recognised as the best assistant coach in the AFL last year among his peers, recently flagged a desire to step into a senior coaching role.
Graham has been among the top line of assistant coaches over the past few seasons, having earned plaudits at both West Coast and Fremantle in recent years.
The former Eagle was seen to be part of recent coaching processes at North Melbourne and Collingwood, who would go on to appoint David Noble and Craig McRae, respectively.
Needing to submit their interest to the Tigers for the role, neither Graham nor Chaplin have done so, according to AFL.com.au.
Among the names that could join McQualter and Newman on Richmond's shortlist include Chaplin's colleague Adem Yze, Essendon assistant Daniel Giansiracusa and Collingwood's Hayden Skipworth.
The publication's report suggests the Tigers are keen on a coach who has previously held a senior role, a factor that could damage Yze's candidacy.
While having earned praise as an assistant with both Hawthorn and Melbourne, Yze is yet to take on a senior coaching role at the professional level, while the likes of McQualter (Richmond - interim), Newman (Box Hill), Skipworth (Essendon VFL) and Giansiracusa (Footscray VFL) have each had experience as a senior coach.