The "long, long, long saga" of Mick Malthouse's future was the subject of another meeting on Friday as Collingwood try to thrash out a solution.

One of the biggest stories in the AFL took another major twist on Thursday night when the Magpies coach said there was a chance he might not stay there.

Collingwood and Malthouse are yet to agree on his job description once he steps down as coach at the end of the season and hands over to assistant Nathan Buckley.

Under a succession deal brokered two years ago, Malthouse will become director of coaching at Collingwood.

Malthouse said he went on Channel Nine's The Footy Show because he is concerned that the subject of his future might become a distraction to Collingwood's premiership defence.

"It's been a long, long, long saga of `no, no, no, yes' and I just thought maybe I can just get something out there that cleans it up or clears it up a little bit," he said on Friday.

"In fairness to everyone, and most of all the club ... it won't affect my life, but I don't want it to have an effect on the player group nor this football club's priority of 2011.

"Believe me, having been part of premierships and not the following year, it's tough enough having opposition ... without having to worry about something that's peripheral."

Later on Friday, president Eddie McGuire said there had been another meeting about the issue, one that had been scheduled before Malthouse's television interview.

"We had a very fruitful meeting with Gary Pert the chief executive, Mick Malthouse and Nathan Buckley, continuing to flesh out the role," McGuire said.

"The timeline as far as I'm concerned is exactly the way it was going to be always and I'm very confident we'll get to the position that we always envisaged.

"I think he's a lot happier today having fleshed out the role even further."

Malthouse said in the TV interview that he wants to be at Collingwood next year, but added he still wanted to coach.

The three-time premiership coach is certain to receive feelers from rival clubs, if that has not happened already."

Star Collingwood midfielder Dale Thomas said he had spoken to Malthouse about the issue.

Thomas also noted that Malthouse would find it hard to walk away from coaching.

"It's not just a switch that you can turn on and off," he told radio station Nova 100.

"He said he'll fulfil it, but I'm sure at the end of the year I'm sure there will be a burning desire from him to coach.

"I've asked about the role next year ... he really isn't sure about the role."

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