The pieces are still moving in the AFL’s coaching chess game with Collingwood’s director of football, Rodney Eade, offered the Gold Coast senior job.

Eade is 56, a former Hawthorn premiership player, who successfully cvoached Sydney out of its doldrums to a Grand Final in 1996 and then later coached the Western Bulldogs with some success.

The Age’s Caroline Wilson reported today that the Suns have offered Eade a deal of between three and four years.

“While Eade has not yet accepted the position, an announcement could come within days after a series of talks that began on the weekend when Eade met the Suns football boss and former Brisbane Bears teammate Marcus Ashcroft,” Wilson says.

Gold Coast began its search after a full review of 2014 ended with the sacking of the club’s inaugural coach Guy McKenna.

Eade’s record is impressive: in his first year at the Swans he took it into its first grand final as a Sydney club and then coached it to the finals four more times in the next five years – at the Bulldogs Eade coached them into five finals series in six years including three consecutive preliminary finals between 2008 and 2010.

Few coaches can claim to having taken their sides into prominent finals campaigns in 10 of 12 years.

Over at Essendon, beleaguered coach James Hird insists his relationship with Mark Thompson remains strong, despite what happened at the AFL club’s tumultuous best and fairest function.

He revealed they have not spoken since the October 1 event, where Thompson effectively put his hand up to remain as Essendon’s senior coach.

Hird said they have separately been on holidays and does not feel anything has changed between them, adding he hopes Thompson will stay at Essendon.

He fronted the media on Monday for the first time since the best and fairest night to welcome back Bombers great Mark Harvey as an assistant coach.

But Thompson’s future at the club is uncertain and he remains in negotiations with club officials.

Hird’s future at Essendon appeared up in the air on October 1, because he had just broken ranks with the club by deciding to appeal against their joint Federal Court loss the previous month.

He did not attend the best and fairest function.

Chairman Paul Little and Thompson did not mention Hird once that night in lengthy and emotional speeches.

Thompson was interim head coach this year as Hird served a 12-month AFL suspension over the club’s ongoing supplements scandal.

Also in his best and fairest speech, Thompson said he did not want to take a “step back”.

Since then, Essendon have said Hird will stay coach for the time being, as ASADA continues with its case against 34 current and past Bombers players.

Thompson is back from a fortnight overseas and Hird has also enjoyed a week off.

“I don’t think it changed them (circumstances) at all,” Hird said of what happened at the best and fairest function.

“‘Bomber’ and I have a very good relationship that goes back a long time.

“That’s still the same.”

Hird also downplayed the fact that they had not spoken for three weeks.

“It’s just been a fact of where it’s been – I only got back in the country yesterday and he was away for two weeks before that.

“We’ll catch up very soon.”

It’s an odd way to run a working relationship.

Harvey has no qualms about returning, despite what has happened.

“I’m not clouded in any of this,” he said.

“I come in here with open eyes.

“I’m just here to make sure the club is stable and they galvanise through this time, that we get on with business, which is playing football and winning games.”

While speculation continues about Mark Thompson’s future at Essendon, Hird said Harvey would be an invaluable addition to their coaching staff.

“Most important, having Mark back is about having a terrific coach back – someone who understands football, who has been coaching for a long time and understands how to get the best out of players,” Hird said of his old team-mate.

“The added bonus is that he is a great Essendon person and very loyal.

“Probably except for Sheeds (Kevin Sheedy, he) has the best network of current Essendon people and knows who the real Essendon people are.

“That’s very important as well.”