Ex-Diamonds coach could look to rugby

Departing Diamonds netball coach Lisa Alexander could pop up in the England rugby coaching box after revealing her ties to Eddie Jones.

After more than eight years in the role Alexander's contract with Netball Australia will not be renewed, leaving the career coach open to offers.

The 56-year-old said while netball remained her first passion, she was open to working within other sports and had spent some time with England and Jones.

The former Wallabies mentor has often trawled Australia's coaching elite for knowledge and ideas, with Canberra NRL coach Ricky Stuart present during their World Cup campaign in Japan last year.

Melbourne Storm assistant Jason Ryles will join England as a skills coach at the end of the 2020 NRL season.

"I'm quite interested in coaching in general," Alexander said on Tuesday at Netball Australia's announcement on her future.

"Even consultant coaching - I've just had some time in England where I spent some time with Eddie Jones and rugby.

"There's many things I think I could contribute so I will look at that but obviously I will always love my netball and it's likely to be the sport I would love to contribute the most to."

Asked if she would make contact with Jones, who headed the Wallabies between 2001 and 2005 and took over the England role in 2015, Alexander said she didn't think she'd have to.

"I think he will be giving me a call," she said.

"He usually does after these things so he will be wanting to know what's going on."

Alexander also said she would consider switching to another home-grown sport such as AFL.

"Australian Rules is a sport I've always loved as a game and whether I can contribute as a technical coach I would need to do some work there, but I could certainly contribute as a director of coaching or something like that."

Alexander first spoke of her love for AFL two years ago at a coaching clinic in Victoria.

''One of my goals is actually to become the first female coach of an AFL men's team,'' she said then. ''It might take me another 10 years, I don't know. But which team would I like to coach? Probably the Sydney Swans, because I just love the sound of their high-performance program.''