With the future of Rodney Eade still up in the air as the coach of the Suns, The Footy Show journalist Damian Barrett has confirmed Gold Coast could come calling for Carlton assistant coach John Barker.
Barker, who is currently working under Brendon Bolton at the Blues, does have some experience in a top job, after he took over Carlton following the sacking of Mick Malthouse midway through the 2015 campaign and led Carlton to three wins from the final 14 rounds of the season.
The 42-year-old was also one of the inaugural coaches in the AFL's new Level Four program, and graduated last month with the highest accreditation for potential AFL coaches.
"While the future of Rodney Eade does remain in the balance, it has emerged that should the club be seeking a new coach, the name John Barker will be the one in the driver's seat to land the job," Barrett told The Footy Show on Thursday night.
"He was endorsed for the Brisbane Lions position last year and was ultimately the runner-up to Chris Fagan, but that endorsement came from the AFL football operations department and Mark Evans, who was the head of that department.
"Evans is now in charge of the Suns as CEO, and is the man who will have the most say in determining whatever happens next in that coaching position."
While Barrett confirmed the reports on Channel Nine on Thursday night, former St Kilda CEO Brian Waldron first linked Barker's name to the Gold Coast job back over three weeks ago.