With Hird attending his first official AFL function on the eve of the national draft on the Gold Coast this week, Brayshaw defended his push to broker talks between Hird and his coaching compatriots, saying it was the role of his organisation to encourage communication between all league coaches.

"This is just one part of what we're trying to do," said Brayshaw, whose son Angus was taken by Melbourne at pick three in the draft. "I'm also trying to meet all coaches individually to outline our role and our strategy."

A planned meeting of the coaches on the Gold Coast, where Hird would have engaged with his counterparts for the first time since his suspension, was cancelled due to the AFL draft-eve dinner.

Hird sat between Brayshaw and Nathan Buckley at the Wednesday night function at Broadbeach, which was hosted by Gillon McLachlan and included the club chief executives and senior coaches. McLachlan greeted Hird and the two men shook hands, although McLachlan has not yet held a meeting with Hird since his return from a one-year AFL ban.

The Essendon coach, who did not attend the Bombers' best and fairest count, left the AFL function early. Buckley was one of just three senior coaches of 17 who attended a meeting with Hird in September at Brayshaw's behest. The other two — Guy McKenna and Brendan McCartney — were subsequently sacked from their coaching roles.

Brayshaw would not comment on the coaches' lack of interest in entreaties to hear Hird's version of events that the Bombers' coach outlined to Buckley and the others at the September Brayshaw meeting. Hird is awaiting a ruling on his appeal against the Federal Court judgment, which found ASADA's 2013 investigation into the Essendon drugs program to be sound.

The lack of appetite held by a number of senior coaches regarding a meeting with Hird has been reflected by the vast majority of club presidents, who remain alarmed at the ongoing damage to the game's image as the fallout from the Essendon 2012 drugs program continues.

With Essendon members currently voting for two board vacancies, chairman Paul Little declared two days ago that he would put Hird's future to a membership vote should players receive anti-doping suspensions.

Brayshaw is expected to be officially appointed as the new CEO of the AFL Coaches Association before Christmas and has already appointed former St Kilda football manager Greg Hutchinson to share duties with Ron Watt as the association's membership services manager. John Worsfold has been appointed chairman.

The brother of North president James Brayshaw, he will step down from the North Melbourne board after eight years to fulfil his new role, in which he has vowed to implement a more clearly defined pathway for coaches and a professional development program. The push to accredit coaches first came from Alastair Clarkson in February in the wake of the Essendon scandal.