Leon Cameron pulls out of Essendon coaching race after taking up role with Sydney Swans Academy

Ross Lyon? No. Leon Cameron? No. Have your say on where Essendon turns now in its search for Ben Rutten’s replacement.

Leon Cameron’s journey back to senior coaching will start as the new director of the Sydney Swans’ Academy, making him the latest big name to rule himself out of taking Essendon’s reins.

News Corp revealed the Swans’ interest in the ex-Giants coach last week, and they wasted little time appointing him despite speculation the Bombers were keen on him potentially being Ben Rutten’s successor.

Sydney’s long-serving Academy chief, Chris Smith, finished in the role mid-year, about six months after the program’s head coach, 2005 premiership player Jared Crouch, also departed.

Cameron resigned as Greater Western Sydney’s coach in May during his ninth season at the Giants’ helm after leading them to their inaugural grand final in 2019 and four other finals campaigns.

Leon Cameron will take charge of the Sydney Swans Academy. Picture: Suppled

He was previously an assistant coach at Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs, where he played 172 of his 256 matches before ending his stellar career at Richmond.

It’s believed Cameron intends to return to the AFL coaching scene at some stage but wanted to remain in Sydney for now, in large part because he and his wife Caroline’s children – Amelia, Harry and Jack – were still at school.

Cameron’s Academy role, which he officially begins in November, will see him oversee more than 600 participants across male and female talent programs.

Top-liners Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Nick Blakey, Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden graduated to Sydney’s senior list from the Swans’ Academy, along with the likes of James Bell and Sam Wicks.

AFLW footballers Ella Heads, Ruby Sargent-Wilson and Kiara Beesley also developed their skills in the program.

Swans football boss Charlie Gardiner was thrilled to hire someone of Cameron’s calibre to head up its Academy.

Cameron is congratulated by Giants players after coaching his last game. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

“Leon has always been much admired and respected by everyone at our footy club, so we are delighted to be able to appoint him as the new director of our Academy,” Gardiner said.

“The Sydney Swans Academy is an incredibly important pathway program to develop elite men’s and women’s talent and help grow the code in New South Wales.

“Over the past 12 years, the Academy has helped develop and improve the local AFL talent pool while also developing elite talent.

“Leon brings a wealth of AFL experience in coaching, high performance and talent identification and we are incredibly fortunate to have someone of his standing in the game lead our Academy in the years ahead.”

LYON: COACHING DONS LIKE ‘ORGAN TRANSPLANT’ REJECTION

— Rebecca Williams

Ross Lyon has described the rotation of Essendon senior coaches as like a rejected “organ transplant” as he revealed conversations he had with “Essendon people” contributed to his decision not to submit to the Bombers’ coaching selection process.

Opening up on his decision to decline an advance from Essendon to be part of the race to find the Bombers’ next coach, Lyon expanded on his explanation on why it “didn’t feel right”.

The former St Kilda and Fremantle coach said conversations that he’d had with people who had been involved with Essendon had added weight to his decision, pointing to the swift turnover of coaches from the “outside”.

Ross Lyon has criticised the constant purge of coaches at Essendon as all too familiar.

“How we are hard-wired throughout evolutions thousands of years, we have really sharp radars, danger or safety,” Lyon said on Footy Classified on Wednesday.

“It just didn’t feel right. There is nothing wrong with that, that is just a personal judgement.

“They are still working through a lot there and a fair bit came to me from Essendon people that have been in really strong positions and explained the club and the challenges of the club and I still think they are working through that.

“I love what they are doing, I think the purge is necessary. But if you look at their history, anyone from the outside — and this is what has got to change in my view…. but I think there might be some internal views that people who have been there, Matty Knights from the outside didn’t work, John Worsfold even when they made finals there was noises about John.

“And then (Ben) Rutten. So it’s like an organ transplant, after two years you get rejected.

“That would be something that was put to me and when it’s put to you, I think that’s a reasonable assessment.”

Lyon did endorse the recent clean out at the club but said joining the Bombers’ coaching selection process ‘didn’t feel right’.

Lyon said his decision had not been based on the state of the club’s list.

“I spoke to Tony Elshaug and he is an Essendon man and he made a great point, it’s not about the list and I tend to agree with them,” Lyon said.

“It’s about getting the right people, create a way of being and doing and results follow.

“It’s not about the list. Everyone goes ‘Where is the list at?’ I think if you get the right people and the right time, like what (Alastair) Clarkson is doing at North and you back yourself in to get it right.”

Lyon did not completely rule out a return to AFL coaching at some stage.

“Is there a right fit for me somewhere? Maybe? Who knows?,” Lyon said.

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Gone in 90 minutes: Lyon’s swift Dons rejection revealed

- Jay Clark

Ross Lyon will not coach Essendon next year after declining a request from Essendon to be part of the selection process.

Lyon, who was considered the top candidate for the Bombers’ job by some former football greats, was contacted by Bombers’ football boss Josh Mahoney about whether he was interested.

Former Dockers and St Kilda coach Ross Lyon. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

But the former St Kilda and Fremantle coach told Mahoney he was happy continuing his career in commercial property and in AFL media.

Lyon explained what happened on the phone call with Mahoney on Triple M.

“There was a missed call on Sunday night, checked the message bank, (and it was) Josh Mahoney,” Lyon said.

“I just texted him and said ‘look I’m really busy tomorrow with work… I’ll call you after 6:30.’

“So I rang him at 6.30pm Monday night… off the bat I said ‘look I don’t feel it’s the right fit for me, but can you just explain what it is?’

“And he was really good, really simply, they’re gonna have five or six candidates, at least two steps, maybe three, but the first step I wouldn’t be in.

“I think that’s for guys who hadn’t coached before, there’s some hurdles for them to jump, and I think they narrow it down from them.

“The second round would be a couple of hours, two hours with a presentation, how you connect with players sort of, build that relationship…. what your first 30 days would look like.”

Lyon said he gave it 90 minutes’ consideration before confirming he was not interested.

“I thought about it for an hour and a half and then I just emailed back and said ‘thanks for the call, I have no desire to take it any further’,” Lyon said.

It is an unsurprising outcome as Lyon has maintained in recent weeks he was enjoying family and working life outside of the stress and commitment of AFL coaching.

Hawthorn great and Essendon coaching selection panel member Jordan Lewis said it was “disappointing” Lyon did not want to pursue the role, but the panel would move on quickly as he revealed interviews would begin next week.

Asked if he was disappointed Lyon would not be part of the selection process, Lewis said: “I think anytime you have the opportunity to elect a new coach, you want every possible candidate to put their hand up and want to be a part of it and potentially be successful in that period.

“He’s clearly been a good coach for a long time, one that is sitting out there and you just don’t know if he wants to come back, or you do know that he doesn’t want to come back at the moment,” ,” Lewis said on AFL 360.

“So a little bit disappointed, but then also it’s ‘Alright, you’re out, let’s move on’. It’s not the end of the world.”

Lewis said the interview process to find the Bombers’ next coach would start next week.

“Next week we get rolling,” Lewis said.

“This week and a little bit of last week was people putting their hand up to say they’re in and then also (football manager) Josh (Mahoney) clearly calling other coaches to see if they’re interested.

“Some aren’t, some are.”

Essendon will turn to other potential candidates including Melbourne assistant Adem Yze, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, Carlton assistant Ashley Hansen, and former Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams.