Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believes the early release of GWS coach Leon Cameron will give the Giants a “head start” on rival clubs in the race to secure the most desirable replacement on the market: four-time premiership-winning coach Alastair Clarkson.
Speaking to 3AW’s Afternoons with Dee Dee, Lloyd said that having separated with Cameron in the middle of the season, the Giants will now get the first crack at luring Clarkson, who has taken a gap year after ending his 17-year stint at Hawthorn last year.
“There’s a man called Alastair Clarkson waiting and I think it gives the Giants a head start in terms of starting their interview process now that they have parted ways with Leon Cameron,” he said.
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“I think Clarko is the type that wouldn’t speak to any club while they’ve still got a coach so that now paves the way for the Giants to get a head start.”
According to Lloyd, the sudden resignation also increases the pressure on other floundering clubs to consider their options if they do want to make a play for Clarkson.
“I think there will be a number of coaching changes, there always is, and there’s a lot of under-performing teams at the moment out there and particularly with Alastair available, it might make a few jump,” he said.
Clarkson has repeatedly been linked with the AFL’s other expansion team, the Gold Coast Suns, with The Age’s Caroline Wilson stating that it is the league’s preference for Clarkson to end up in the sunshine state.
While Cameron’s abrupt exit could see a team like the Gold Coast accelerate their call on out of favour coach Stuart Dew, Lloyd does not believe any club will react immediately to the Giants’ move, helping their cause.
“I think that no one will jump at any other clubs for at least the next four or five weeks so it gives them the opportunity to get the front of the queue,” he said.
Cameron will coach GWS for the final time this weekend against Carlton at Giants Stadium, before his long-time assistant Mark McVeigh takes the reigns for the rest of the season.
After spending 34 consecutive years in the game as both a player and a coach, Cameron said it was time to take a break but didn’t rule out a return to elite coaching in future.
“You never say never,” he said. “I love coaching and I love doing what I do, but who knows where that is in the coming months.”
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