The Dockers have been highly public in their desire to bounce back from a disastrous four-win 2016 campaign, with coach Ross Lyon conceding nine days ago that the club was "rebuilding" and declaring it might yet be four years before Fremantle was back in premiership contention.

It was no great surprise to see Fremantle promising to cast a "wide net" on Friday when it started advertising for a new position of "High Performance Manager - Coaching" but it was more unusual to see a bold quarter-page ad in The Weekend Australian emblazoned with the Dockers logo and colours. The ad's text also appears on seek.com.au.

Traditionally, jobs within AFL football departments have been secured by word of mouth and, in the case of Lyon, with great secrecy. But the fact Fremantle is prepared to look to the corporate world for an appointee is perhaps an indication that this isn't your standard footy job.

"AFL experience is not essential," the job ad reads in part.

"...A diverse skill set to enable the successful candidate to provide assistance and mentoring to the coaches in terms of the player development plans, teaching and feedback techniques and accountability for the coaching team's individual development plans.

"Above all else, the ideal candidate will be of exceptional personal character, with a high level of integrity and work ethic with willingness to commit to the club's trademark behaviour and values.

"A reasonable knowledge of the disciplines of sport science, psychology, coaching/education and leadership is desire.

"In addition they will have an understanding of the principles of a high performance environment with may include the sporting or corporate environment."

The ad notes that the main focus of the role would be the "education and development of the club's coaching team to ensure they deliver the highest standard of coaching to the playing group."

In potentially going outside the AFL to find their person, the Dockers might end up mirroring Cricket Australia's move of 2011, when it appointed former rugby union player and coach Pat Howard as general manager of team performance.

Howard's tenure hasn't been without its critics - Shane Warne famously labelled him a "muppet" and player rotation hasn't always been popular - but Australia is currently the world's third ranked nation for Test cricket and No. 1 for one-day internationals. Twice with Howard in his position, Australia has been No. 1 in Test ranks.

There is even a more local precedent for a "non-football" appointment. Decorate hockey guru Ric Charlesworth was once a performance consultant at the Dockers.

The appointment of the "High Performance Manager - Coaching" will be one of an expected raft of changes at Fremantle over the off-season, including the retirement of the club's greatest ever player Matthew Pavlich.

Already long-time West Coast and Dockers assistant coach Peter Sumich has departed the fold and injury-prone Tanner Smith and untried Irishman Sean Hurley have departed.

Popular on-baller Michael Barlow seemed to all but concede last week he would be on his way and there has been significant speculation about the futures of Chris Mayne and Hayden Ballantyne. Matt de Boer, Tendai Mzungu and Anthony Morabito are others with clouded futures.

The Dockers had a dream run during Lyon's first four years as coach, reaching an inaugural grand final in 2013 and winning a minor premiership in 2015. But the wheels fell off spectacularly in 2016, with injuries to Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe, ruckman Aaron Sandilands and promising young defender Alex Pearce compounding existing on-field woes.

There was also controversy about the captaincy appointment process that eventually installed David Mundy as skipper, while Lyon admitted "negligence" meant the players did not undertake enough "high intensity running" during the pre-season.