Dual Geelong premiership hero Harry Taylor has been unveiled as part of the panel that will choose West Coast’s next senior coach.

The Eagles have been on the lookout for a new coach since Adam Simpson departed by mutual consent on July 9 after 11 years in the role.

Former Eagles great and current Sydney assistant Dean Cox and Port Adelaide assistant Josh Carr have already ruled themselves out of the race for the job.

Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham, Carlton assistant Ash Hansen, current Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley are among the many names that have been linked to the vacant role.

Interim coach Jarrad Schofield is yet to directly express desire to apply for the role full-time, but it’s expected he will throw his hat into the ring.

West Coast announced on Wednesday they were now ready to develop a shortlist of candidates to participate in interviews for the head coaching job.

A five-person panel led by West Coast chief executive Don Pyke and football manager Gavin Bell will conduct the interviews.

Football affairs director Rowan Jones, who played in West Coast’s 2006 premiership triumph, and women’s football pioneer and current Eagles board member Jan Cooper will also be involved.

Cooper was recognised for her contribution to Australian football by being the first female inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame in September last year.

Taylor, who played in two premierships for Geelong during his 280-game career, rounds out the panel.

The 38-year-old joined the Eagles during the pre-season in a part-time role to do some “performance leadership consulting” at the club.

West Coast say while no timeline has been set to make the final decision, they are aiming to have it done during September.

The Eagles also announced on Wednesday that assistant coach Matthew Knights will return to Victoria for family and lifestyle reasons at the end of the season.

Knights, who coached Essendon from 2008-10, joined the Eagles from Geelong ahead of the 2022 campaign as midfield coach and transitioned to working with the forward line this season.

He will remain in his role supporting interim coach Schofield until the end of the season.

The 16th-placed Eagles (3-16) will finish in the bottom three for the third straight season, but they have at least avoided the regular blowouts that marred their 2023 campaign.

West Coast are hopeful Jeremy McGovern (rib/lung) and Liam Duggan (concussion) will be fit to return for Friday night’s clash with Gold Coast in Perth.

Defender Tom Barrass and midfielder Luke Edwards have been ruled out with concussion, while Jack Petruccelle and Jack Hutchinson are suspended.

Alex Witherden could return from a hip injury, while Clay Hall is set to become the club’s sixth debutant this season.