MELBOURNE is likely to sound out both Cameron Ling and Lenny Hayes about taking over as Paul Roos' successor as coach.

Ling has already been linked to a role at the Demons, but on the back of Hayes' retirement on Tuesday the star Saint is also likely to field coaching offers next season.

Hayes has expressed an interest in coaching after retirement.

Roos confirmed on Tuesday that the club would approach both Ling and Hayes about their interest in the job, but cautioned against either jumping straight into a senior coaching role.

"I think Cameron (Ling) is someone we'll definitely have a chat to, but is one year or two years too soon - depending on what I do - to be an AFL coach?" Roos said at AAMI Park.

"I don't know enough about Cameron to say yes or no. But I think Cameron and probably Lenny (Hayes) are people you'd love to talk to, but is it too soon?"

Roos said he is yet to make a decision about whether to exercise his option to continue his coaching stint into a third year beyond his existing contract which expires at the end of 2015.

The Demons coach is an advocate of the apprenticeship system, supporting the AFL Coaches Asssociation's (AFLCA) stance on coaches taking an assistant role before making the leap into senior coaching.

Former AFLCA president Danny Frawley and the 18 AFL coaches have expressed some concern about the pathway system for those coming into coaching.

Roos said the next step in the search for his successor would involve narrowing down the field to those who wanted to do the job.

"At the moment it's just working out the next list. The next list is probably the people who want to do the job," he said.

"The next list we come up with will be a list we think are A) competent and B) those who want to do the job."

The Demons have said previously the timeline for the successor search would begin this September.

But the club is yet to tell Roos when it needs him to make the call on whether he continues into a third year.