Did GWS Giants’ $7 million gamble cost them their marquee man?

GWS was cock-a-hoop when trumpeting a major coup last year, but has it backfired badly by costing the Giants marquee man Jeremy Cameron?

Footy commentators are questioning whether GWS erred by throwing the kitchen sink at midfielder Stephen Coniglio at the expense of other stars.

The Giants are in disarray as a host of first-team players leave the club. Zac Williams has walked out to join Carlton, Aidan Corr is heading to North Melbourne and gun forward Jeremy Cameron wants to wear Geelong colours next season.

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Add to that the uncertain futures of Jackson Hately and Jye Caldwell, and the Sydney club has some work to do this off-season.

Cameron is a foundation player at the Giants and has been the team’s leading goalkicker every year, but dropped a bomb on GWS by announcing his intention to explore free agency in the hopes of linking up with the Cats.

Cameron was on a heavily back-ended deal that was reportedly going to net him $1.5m this season before COVID-19 hit and slashed salaries across the board.

Last year the Giants re-signed Coniglio on a monster seven-year, $7 million deal to keep him at the club for life. He was also named captain in 2020 but endured a horror season on multiple fronts.

Coniglio was dropped in September because of his poor form and under his leadership, GWS missed the finals for the first time since 2015.

Veteran footy journalist Caroline Wilson suggested making such a huge play for Coniglio — that didn’t pay dividends this season — added to salary cap pressure that made it harder to keep marquee man Cameron.

“He (Cameron) definitely felt he was dudded,” Wilson said on Nine’s Footy Classified about his salary being reduced. “I’d just make the point, did they pick the right player?

“Were they wrong to throw everything at Stephen Coniglio a year ago? I don’t mean to be brutal but they made him captain, they gave him a massive long-term deal, he’s had issues this year but they didn’t throw everything at Jeremy Cameron.”

Wilson acknowledged COVID-19 had thrown a spanner in the works and Footy Classified host Sam McClure also believes salary cap pressure has influenced Cameron’s decision to leave.

“I agree with you that it probably had some sort of an impact,” McClure said.

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Jeremy Cameron is on the move.

Stephen Coniglio had a rough first season in charge of GWS.

Former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon asked whether Cameron had expected to win a premiership with GWS by now, and suggested he might be leaving because he’s read the tea leaves and can’t see the Giants winning a flag in the near future.

Former GWS and Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni told SEN on Wednesday the Giants should be concerned about the flood of talent heading for the exit.

“If you look at the situation at the minute — and this is my opinion — as a club I’d be really worried,” Silvagni said.

“The fact that you’ve probably got three bona fide players in Williams, Corr and Cameron leaving the football club — they’re in their best 22 — then you look at Hately and possibly Caldwell leaving, who are high draft picks.

“If I was that football club and I was a CEO and board, I’d be extremely worried and trying to find out why this is happening because to have five players pretty much walking out of your club is very concerning.

“These boys, I know they are close up there, but the fact they’ve possibly missed that chance to nab a Grand Final win, I think that’s hurt them.”