Fremantle assistant Peter Sumich is set to apply for the vacant role at the Western Bulldogs in one final bid to become an AFL senior coach.

The seven-times West Coast leading goal kicker was yesterday preparing to put his name forward to replace Brendan McCartney.

thewest.com.au understands several former teammates have rallied behind Sumich, viewing the position at the Bulldogs as ideal.

Sumich remains one of the most experienced assistants in the AFL system, having spent a decade as the right-hand man to John Worsfold at West Coast before moving to Fremantle to serve under Ross Lyon for the past three seasons.

Tony Micale, who worked alongside Sumich for six seasons at the Eagles, including the 2006 premiership, labelled his former colleague a "winner" who deserved his own chance.

"Everything that he's taken on he's won in and that includes in his off-field activities as well," Micale said.

"The guy is just a quality person and he's got great humility.

"They're key ingredients nowadays that I see that you need to have as a coach because of the fact that we're now seeing players dictate terms to boards and so on about coaches' career paths.

"Peter has great credentials with man management and people skills.

"He's quiet and unassuming in that regard, but he has great respect for everybody.

"I see that as certainly one of his greatest strengths.

"His knowledge of the game, he's very intuitive.

"He's probably more the old-school coach. He's been in football all his life."

The Bulldogs post became available yesterday when McCartney stepped aside in the wake of captain Ryan Griffen's request for a trade to Greater Western Sydney.

Griffen and several senior teammates expressed concern with the tone of McCartney's exit interviews.

President Peter Gordon tried his best yesterday to paint the club as a place of stability while detailing McCartney's exit in a lengthy press conference that started with a 12-minute prepared statement.

"I've been around footy for a long time. This is not a crisis. This is a tough week in the office," Gordon said.

"This is a difficult issue we've stayed on top of ... we are moving forward with what I think is one of the two or three best young lists in the competition.

"We take that responsibility seriously because we know that we should be playing finals every year for most of the next 10 years."

Gordon admitted the goal posts moved once it became apparent that Griffen had sought a new home. "I asked Macca whether ... he could overcome these new impediments," Gordon said.

"He was uncertain and asked us to get some further feedback from key people and we spent a lot of yesterday doing so."

McCartney did not attend the press conference where it was announced his three-year tenure had ended, but released a statement saying the club "is in good hands".

"It's a sad man that resigns today, but that's footy. I leave knowing that I got some things right and got some wrong," McCartney said.

with Australian Associated Press