McCartney won nation-wide respect when he bravely fought back into the AFL at North to play one game in Round 11 of 2003 after recovering from horrific burns he received in the 2002 Bali bombings.
The highly regarded former Collingwood and then 1999 Kangaroos premiership defender is also a coach with the AFL’s youth coaching scheme through the Australian Institute of Sport and has been connected to possibly winning the Eagles appointment for months.
McCartney, 36, is one of five final contenders for West Coast’s position which is being vacated by long serving list manager and former football operations manager Steve Woodhouse.
Highly rated development and assistant coach and popular Collingwood 1990 premiership winger Graham Wright is also a top contender.
Carlton assistant and former Melbourne caretaker senior coach Mark Riley, Port Adelaide forwards coach Jason Cripps and Adelaide assistant David Noble are others understood to be on West Coast’s hit-list.
Inaugural Fremantle Dockers football manager Gerard McNeil is a local contender linked to the hotly sought after post.
Eagles general manager of football operations Neale Daniher told his club’s website that a search for a new list manager has spread throughout the AFL.
“The role of a list manager is a relatively new innovation in the AFL,” Daniher said.
“But it has quickly become a key part of a club’s operations, not only looking purely at the immediate squad, but also projecting forward and ensuring we have players to fill the gaps as senior players move on.
“That is why we are looking nationally for a replacement for Steve Woodhouse, who will wind back his duties next year for health reasons.
“That exhaustive search is continuing.”
Daniher used his communication forum through West Coast’s website to declare he has no intention of leaving the embattled club after his first two seasons.
The former Melbourne coach and highly respected Essendon player and assistant had been linked with a possible return to the Bombers in the aftermath of last week’s sacking of head coach Matthew Knights.
“I am extremely happy at West Coast and intend staying here to see out the task of making us successful again,” Daniher said.
"There is a lot of work to do, but I am enjoying the challenge."