Adam Simpson has failed to shut the door completely on coaching Carlton at some point in the future, despite insisting he’s currently committed to supporting the embattled Michael Voss.

Simpson, who coached the Eagles from 2014 to 2024, has been forced to clarify his position at the Blues, saying he is just a consultant and took the job after discussion with Carlton CEO Graham Wright and his manager.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Adam Simpson statement sparks coaching speculation

On Wednesday night Simpson made the call to speak out about his “consultant” position, after it was thrust into the spotlight on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.

“In all my time in football, I’ve never seen a part-timer have great success,” Kane Cornes said on The Agenda Setters on Monday.

“The problem for Adam is you’re not getting his best as a media performer because he’s not speaking honestly about the club … and they’re probably not getting the best of him at Carlton because he’s not there full-time.”

Another issue for the 50-year-old Simpson is that his name has come up as a candidate for the senior coaching job at the Blues with Voss’s contract due to end this year, and seemingly at long odds of getting renewed.

Melbourne champion Garry Lyon asked Simpson directly if he had interest in the Carlton job.

“Inevitably, you would be linked with a potential senior coaching job if things started to go pear-shaped … Would you have an interest in coaching Carlton if and when this job arrived?” Lyon said on Fox Footy.

Simpson: “I really enjoy the role. And it’s not a part-time role, I’m a consultant there, and I work on development plans with the assistant coaches and Vossy.

“I’m not part of the groupthink, so if I see something, I’ll flick (Voss) a text or a bit of vision about ‘this is what I’m seeing’, and I’m someone who’s been there before. That’s the role.

“I haven’t been at the club since you guys saw me at a Geelong scratch match. So, I’m off-site a little bit. The role is the role.

“But when I went into it, I was very clear with my manager and with Graham Wright (Carlton CEO) that if I take this role, I’m not coaching Carlton. Because there’s no way you can do both.”

Of course, the question was not about doing “both” jobs and Simpson then added: “If it ever came up, it could be three, four, five years, whatever ... but right now, I’m part of Michael’s team.”

Simpson’s inclusion of a time frame has certainly raised eyebrows.

“It wasn’t categoric, was it?” St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt said on The Agenda Setters on Wednesday night.

“There was a little bit of wiggle room, there was a rider there.”

Head here to watch The Agenda Setters on 7plus Sport

Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison said the “concession” he took out of Simpson’s statement was that there had been a conversation with Wright about being the “next coach” and “ruling that out”.

But that did not mean it had been ruled out down the track.

“I feel like Adam caught himself when he said that and unwound it quickly,” Hutchison said.

“It wasn’t an unreasonable conversation (Lyon and Simpson) had, but it was an interesting concession.”

Riewoldt said: “It flipped and flopped, didn’t it, between almost ruling it out and also opening the door.”

Simpson also has a role on radio network SEN, which Hutchison owns.

Hutchison wondered whether Simpson’s dual role as consultant and media performer helped Voss, or just added to the pressure.

“Adam and I have talked about this. That’s the challenge for him. You really can’t be pitch perfect on how you talk about it,” Hutchison said.

“Do you think with that dynamic, as the losses build, do you think that makes Michael second-guess having someone around him of (Simpson’s) calibre who’s keeping an eye on him, who has to talk about him in the media, or talk around it? Does it help Michael?” Hutchison added.

Riewoldt believed Simpson, as a premiership coach, was “very well-equipped” to guide Voss through some tough times.

But 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary believed some of Simpson’s comments were in Voss’s head.

“The Blues are so wary about this,” Cleary said.

“So Sunday, Michael Voss talks about the glass half-full approach. Adam Simpson queries that on SEN on Monday. Then today in his press conference, in the first 30, 40 seconds of the press conference, Michael Voss backs over the glass half-full approach.

“So clearly this is playing around in Michael Voss’s head.

“I’m not sure if it’s the right time for this to be all thrown into the melting pot when there’s so much else that has to be worked through.”