Tim Watson has endorsed Matthew Knights as an option for North Melbourne if they decide to look for a new senior coach.
The Kangaroos are currently without a coach after Rhyce Shaw decided to take an extended break from football for personal reasons.
It’s unknown whether Shaw will return to coaching in 2021.
Watson believes Knights, who has served as an assistant coach at Geelong since 2015, would be better equipped to succeed as a senior coach if given a second opportunity.
“They (North Melbourne) are not going to go with a rookie coach again, so they’re going to go for somebody who’s had experience,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“I’ll throw one up for you … this guy has been around, and he’s had a great football experience at a really successful club.
“Matty Knights got a job at Essendon as a really young coach replacing Kevin Sheedy, which was always going to be an enormous task for anyone.
“He didn’t have the success, stayed in football, has worked at Geelong as their VFL coach then worked his way up onto the staff, he has now been around a really, really good organisation and he’s a really smart football person.
“If North Melbourne go searching for a coach, I would suggest that they would need to talk to somebody like that, who has seen football from all sides.
“You’re always going to be better second time around.”
Knights coached Essendon for three seasons, before guiding Geelong’s VFL side to a premiership in 2012.