Jaymie Graham is set to be unveiled as North Melbourne coach as soon as this week, with only the final details still to be ticked off before the club formalises the appointment.

It’s understood Graham interviewed exceptionally on Saturday, and North’s panel has settled on him as the club’s preferred candidate.

The Roos are believed to have communicated to the 43-year-old on the weekend that he is their guy.

But until it’s ratified at board level, they will not tell the unsuccessful candidates. This stage of the process is considered a formality.

Graham has been highly touted across his time at West Coast and Fremantle and beat out a field which included David Hale, Daniel Giansiracusa and Xavier Clarke.

Clarke interviewed late last week, while Hale interviewed across the weekend.

Graham played 37 games at the Eagles before playing WAFL and then embarking on a coaching career which began at St Kilda in Scott Watters’ era.

He then moved to West Coast under Adam Simpson — and coached East Perth in 2016 — before switching to the Dockers ahead of the 2022 season.

Graham ran close for the Essendon senior coaching gig and Carlton’s vacancy recently. He was the only candidate to go deep for both jobs, before missing out to Mark McVeigh and Josh Fraser respectively.

“It was a great experience,” Graham said of the two coaching processes last month on AFL Nation.

“I was bloody busy for a month there and I actually did get some advice from Ken along the way which I really appreciated.

“I learned a lot about myself because you’re reflecting on your own philosophies and then having to sit in front of a group of people and share those philosophies and present them.

“They were well received, I clearly didn’t get the nod but got positive feedback about the way I went about it and presented so it’s just a matter of right time, right opportunity, hopefully in the future when they come.”

Hinkley also gave a glowing endorsement of Graham.

“Jaymie Graham will absolutely be a senior coach in his own right at some point,” he said.

“He’s too good not to be. He’s just got to be patient. The right team will find him.”

North Melbourne have been contacted for comment.