Port Adelaide keen to talk to Hawthorn assistant Leon Cameron about senior coaching job

PORT Adelaide wants to interview Hawthorn assistant coach Leon Cameron even though he says he has no interest in the Power coaching job.

Leon Cameron

HAWTHORN assistant coach Leon Cameron is set to be head-hunted by Port Adelaide, despite declaring he has no interest in the Power coaching job.

But Adelaide assistant coach Mark Bickley says he has had no contact from the Power - and certainly does not want it this week as he works with the Crows in their demanding challenge to beat the Hawks in Saturday's preliminary final.

Cameron, 40, told the Melbourne media 10 days ago he would prefer to keep his young family in Melbourne. He started the rush of young assistant coaches - including West Coast midfield coach Scott Burns - distancing themselves from the Power and leaving the field to experienced candidates Rodney Eade and Brett Ratten.

But Port's five-man search party - which resumes the chase for Matthew Primus' successor tomorrow by interviewing Ratten - wants the final set of interviews to involve more than the sacked Carlton coach and Eade, who is currently the strategy coach at Collingwood.

After putting all interviews on hold to deal with the death of Port Adelaide midfielder John McCarthy in Las Vegas last week, Thomas today returns to Melbourne for the All-Australian ceremony to assemble his five-man search party.

Joining Thomas are board member Kevin Osborn, football operations chief Peter Rohde - who has also returned from the US - director Peter Schwab and fellow AFL employee Tom Harley.