Could former Australia Diamonds netball coach Lisa Alexander emerge as a shock contender for the vacant North Melbourne role?

SEN’s Tim Watson believes so.

Speaking on his breakfast show alongside co-host Garry Lyon, Watson questioned whether Alexander would put her hand up for the job after the Kangaroos and Rhyce Shaw officially parted ways on Thursday.

“The other person that might actually apply for this job is Lisa Alexander, the former coach of the netball team,” he revealed.

Lyon said he “wouldn’t rule anyone out” of the running, but was cautious about the approach to Alexander.

“I’d go and talk to her. I’d be happy to talk to her. I don’t think I’d be just opening it up for an interview straight away,” he said.

“After you’ve had the discussion you might say, ‘Ok yep, we’d like to formally interview you’.

“Or you might walk away from that going, ‘Fantastic, there might be a role somewhere else but not as a senior coach’.”

Alexander has made no secret of her desire to become the first female AFL coach since she was sacked as Australian coach in February.

“If a position comes up, I will be applying for it,” she revealed in an interview with Gerard Whateley last month.

“I think there are many more similarities than what people think (between AFL and netball coaching).

“I understand the game very well and I may look at it from a very different point of view that may actually evolve and change the game more than perhaps it has been in the last 10 years or so since Alastair Clarkson’s cluster has come into play.”

At the time Alexander admitted it would take a “big leap of faith” from an AFL club to give her a chance, but she remained confident it could happen in the next decade.

“I think there will be (a club brave enough to take the leap of faith). You’ve got 18 teams in the competition and so therefore there’s a really good chance it could happen,” she said.

Alexander led the Australian Diamonds between 2011 and 2020, finishing with an 81 per cent winning record from 102 Tests.