Fremantle football boss Peter Bell has revealed he would be open to listening to North Melbourne should the Kangaroos have interest in seeing their former club champion return to Arden Street as their next chief executive officer.
Bell has held his role at the Dockers since ending his media career in 2018, helping steer the Dockers under senior coach Justin Longmuir across the past four seasons.
The 46-year-old returned to Fremantle a decade after calling time on his 286-game career, with the Cockburn club now bearing fruit on their football department overhaul to current ybe placed in a deep finals push.
The Roos and now-former chief execute Ben Amarfio recently cut ties, with the club now looking to head in a new direction under mastermind coach Alastair Clarkson.
While murmured interest has risen in recent weeks of a potential move to North Melbourne - the club where Bell won two premierships - the Dockers boss said he is heavily invested in Fremantle, but would take the club's call.
"It's difficult because I'm not trying to be evasive, but I get asked that question a lot," Bell told 3AW on Saturday.
"I don't know if that's North Melbourne people or genuine. Journalists ask me that all the time. So my response to it is that I am so invested in Fremantle and what Fremantle are doing and will continue to do and be invested in Fremantle until the end of the year.
"If someone has been asking you that question. That's the response and that's generally the case.
"If it comes to the end of the year, and I'd be extremely flattered if North Melbourne or any other club were interested in what I was doing, then usually you would listen to it.
"But look, I'm so invested in what Fremantle's doing that I haven't really given it a moment's thought."
Bell played 123 games for the Roos between 1996-2000, winning the Syd Barker Medal in his final year in the blue and white.
The South Korean-born football boss isn't the only name tied to a potential switch to Victoria, with Brisbane CEO Greg Swann also having linked to the vacancy at Essendon.
Like the Roos, the Bombers have seen mass changes to their football department since the end of the home and away season, with the club now needing to secure a new chief executive and senior coach following Dave Barham's recent appointment as president.
When quizzed by journalist Caroline Wilson on Essendon's potential interest, Swan played down the suggestion coyishly.
"I have had no conversations with anybody," Swann said. "I'm very happy at Brisbane.
"We've got hopefully two weeks to go. So that's all I'm saying about that."
Like Bell and the Dockers, Swann's Lions remain in the premiership hunt, having booked themselves a spot in next Friday's preliminary final against Geelong at the MCG.
