Mark Thompson and Gary Ablett built an AFL dynasty at Geelong and Gold Coast are hoping lightning will strike twice with the pair.

The Suns sacked foundation coach Guy McKenna on Wednesday, paving the way for two-time premiership coach Thompson to be reunited with Ablett at the expansion club.

McKenna’s position had come under intense scrutiny following a recent review of the club’s football department.

With Thompson off contract after filling in for suspended Essendon coach James Hird this season, the opportunity to lure the 50-year-old north was too tempting to ignore.

Despite having a year left to run on his contract, two-time West Coast premiership player McKenna was told by Suns chairman John Witheriff the board didn’t believe he was the man to take the club forward.

After being in contention for a maiden finals appearance for most of 2014, the Suns faded after Ablett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in round 16.

That failure to crack into the top eight, plus rumours of player unrest, forced the Suns to consider their options.

“My reading of it, my understanding of it, is who I am as a person is not the right person to take us forward,” McKenna said.

“Do they want a coach with premiership history, success? If they do I can’t answer that because I haven’t taken a group of players into finals or finals contention.”

A lack of premiership success or finals history is not a problem with Thompson.

Ablett was a key member of Thompson’s Cats team which won premierships in 2007 and 2009.

Thompson also led the Bombers into this year’s finals before being eliminated by North Melbourne.

The pair’s friendship was strained in 2010 by the season-long speculation over Ablett’s future before the midfielder decided to walk out on the Cats to become the Suns’ inaugural skipper.

Thompson himself followed Ablett out the door, joining Essendon to become Hird’s mentor.

In December that year, Ablett revealed the pair rarely spoke during the season.

“I just think it’s time he moved on, and stopped comparing his move to my move,” Ablett said at the time.

Both men claim they have since patched up their differences and it seems unlikely the Suns would risk alienating their main player by appointing a coach he didn’t approve of.

Witheriff denied the club had spoken to Thompson, though reports had emerged before Wednesday’s decision that a third party had been appointed to speak to him.

Bookmakers quickly installed Thompson as the $1.10 favourite for the role following McKenna’s axing.

Despite finishing 2014 in 12th after winning just one of their final seven matches, McKenna believes his successor will be very pleased with the state of the team going into the 2015 season.

“I think the playing group is ready to explode into the AFL like we started to show in the early part of the season,” he said.

“I certainly wish him well and I wish all the players and staff all the best.”