Should Leon Cameron’s legacy really be in question?

Leon Cameron’s mid-season exit leaves a giant question about legacy, but should it? 

Over the past several weeks, question marks had surrounded Leon Cameron’s future at the Greater Western Sydney Giants. 

Following ongoing speculation regarding Cameron’s future was put to rest, he addressed the media this week in regards to his time at the club. It follows a turbulent start to 2022, with the two-win Giants sitting 15th and showing signs of on-field decline.

However, the turbulence of his 2022 premiership campaign came to a dramatic conclusion for Cameron, after announcing he would step down as head coach – a move he told the media was ‘mutual’. 

The sudden news of his departure concludes a nine-year tenure for the 49-year-old, who took over the reins from the Giants’ inaugural coach Kevin Sheedy back in 2014. With his departure coming through a form slump, Cameron’s performance has continued being a hotly contested issue. 

But just what sort of legacy will the former AFL player turned coach leave behind, after almost a decade in the top position? 

What followed a decorative career in the AFL with stints at the Western Bulldogs and Richmond, retiring at the end of the 2003 season, would see Cameron leverage his football knowledge to forge a path as a coach. 

This path saw him as an assistant with the Bulldogs, Hawthorn and then at GWS, a year after its inaugural campaign. He was then given approval from Sheedy to take over, stepping into his first senior coaching role in 2014. In just his first year, Cameron had turned around the team’s misfortunes, helping its climb up a couple of ladder spots to 16th. That was just the start, of course.

The Giants continued showing a significant improvement, banking more wins with each passing season. Throughout his tenure as a head coach, the Giants made five finals series, the highlight being that hyped up trip to the Grand Final in 2019.

Despite his efforts to help launch the Giants into five finals tilts, though, some critics have found fault with his side never tasting AFL’s ultimate success. 

Considering GWS is the most recent to enter the competition, is this a fair criticism to make? 

While his side suffered some brutal losses on the big stage, he helped get them there. They made it to the biggest stage in 2019 by beating the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane and Collingwood, the club’s lone Grand Final appearance. It didn’t go according to the script, of course, as Richmond won all four quarters for an 89-point win. 

Their 2016 Preliminary Final exit was tough to swallow, too. Some had suggested it was the Giants’ best chance to go all the way. But an agonising finish meant the Western Bulldogs qualified instead, going on to beat the Swans the following weekend.

However, this shouldn’t overshadow the fact that the Giants have produced some thrilling wins and upsets against the big names in the competition during Cameron’s time in the top position.

Over his nine years as a head coach, he has amassed 94 wins, four draws and 82 losses during the home and away seasons. Perhaps their most memorable was up against the Gold Coast Suns, their highest win margin yet – a 108-point win over the AFL’s other newcomer. 

The Giants have also recorded large scores under the guidance of Cameron, including a 158-point blitz against Hawthorn in 2016.

Even so, there has been a noticeable shift in the performance of the team since then. 

The once high-flying Giants have become unrecognisable in 2022, whose only two wins in the season so far against the Suns and the Adelaide Crows seemed to ring alarm bells before Cameron’s departure. Then there was the only finals series that the Giants had missed out on, failing in the COVID plagued 2020.

Throw in a smorgasbord of obstacles that included top draft picks like Adam Treloar and Jeremy Cameron departing to clubs closer to home, a cluster of injuries that hindered them at many opportunities and internal changes that saw a handful of assistant coaches also depart.

It wouldn’t have helped either that GWS’ director of football had criticisms regarding the team’s professional standards and credibility.

Though is any of this Cameron’s fault? The short answer is no. 

Given the hand of cards that were dealt to the departing coach, his record might not put him on a pedestal as one of the greats. But let’s let the dust settle on the recent media storm surrounding his future before making any final conclusions.

Allow GWS CEO Dave Matthews’ comments to sink in.

“He’s done what a lot of AFL coaches haven’t done and that is not just coach a team, he’s helped build a club.”