MARK Thompson has flagged his interest in a return to senior coaching but says he is not gunning for the Brisbane Lions post that Justin Leppitsch is under pressure to hold.

Leppitsch is contracted until the end of 2017, but the Lions' dismal 1-15 record has sparked speculation he could be moved on at the end of the season.

Thompson, 52, has been out of football for the past two years after leaving Essendon, where he was fined $30,000 for his role in the club's drugs scandal.

He said his passion for the game and for coaching had returned but an immediate appointment if the Lions' job became available was not on his radar.

"I would probably ask them more questions than they'd asked me," he told News Corp.

"You'd want to know who you’re working for this time round, because I'm wiser and I know exactly what I want.

"It would be really hard to employ me because I'd ask the questions they might not want to hear."

Thompson said he felt for Leppitsch, who has a 20 per cent win-loss record since taking over the Lions ahead of the 2014 season.

"You can't judge him because he had a group of boys and they all walked out, four people in one house all walked out and there was some great young talent," he said.

"Is it Justin's fault they walked and they had to start again?

"He can't win. Don’t judge him by winning games, judge him by, is he recruiting the right players, are those players better every year, are they developing?"