Michael Voss has turned his back on a chance to become the inaugural coach of the AFL's new Gold Coast franchise after his request for a five-year deal fell on deaf ears.

The Brisbane Lions great, who announced he would join West Coast as an assistant coach for the next two seasons, was offered a three-year deal (2009-2011) by the franchise.

But that would effectively give him only one season coaching at AFL level, after two years of helping establish the club.

With the Gold Coast franchise - currently known as GC17 - not set to join the AFL until 2011, Voss said the deal did not give him enough time to prove his worth as a coach.

"If I was going to accept the Gold Coast job I wanted to know I was going to be able to have a really good crack at it," Voss said in a statement.

"I asked for an extended period but it wasn't to be. I understand and accept that.

"There is two phases to this (Gold) Coast team as I see it," Voss later told reporters in Brisbane.

"There is before it is in existence and then after it actually starts in the AFL. The fact that they were one and the same to me was irrelevant but it was relevant to them (the new franchise) and I respect that."

Voss, who was a three-time premiership captain, five times All-Australian and winner of the 1996 Brownlow Medal during his glittering 289-game career, refused to completely rule out becoming Gold Coast's foundation coach.

But he indicated it was an unlikely scenario.

"In the last week I've learnt to never say never," Voss told Network Ten.

"I thought I could get a three-year agreement as an AFL coach, (but) they (GC17) thought only one and that's why you go down to the path of other options, and West Coast approached that option and I could think of no better club to go to."

Worsfold revealed he, along with West Coast chairman Mark Barnaba and chief executive Trevor Nisbett, met with Voss following the Eagles' 135-point shellacking at the hands of Geelong in round 13.

With eight rounds remaining, the Eagles are equal last with just two wins to their name.

"It became pretty clear to me we needed to add something fresh at the football club and it wasn't just going to be anything, it was going to be the best we could possibly get," Worsfold said.

Although Peter Sumich's assistant's role at the Eagles appears safe, the same cannot be said for Darren Harris and Tony Micale, who are expected to be moved on at season's end.

Voss, who admitted his move to West Coast was in part to help him prepare for a senior coach's role in the future, said Worsfold was comfortable accepting him to the club knowing full well his stay could be short.

"He (Worsfold) was emphatic that I was welcome there under those pretences and that was a big thing for me," Voss said.

Voss will finish his media commitments in October before moving with his family from Queensland to Perth.

"It's been a tough decision to make," he said.

"I thought it was going one way until a week ago and then we've had to turn our minds around to going somewhere else.

"It just happened to be right across the other side of Australia."

GC17 committee chairman John Witheriff could not be contacted.

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