So the senior coaching career of Leon Cameron is over, and thank goodness for that.
The support for Cameron, once he announced his resignation from GWS, among a lot of media was quite bewildering. Many were talking up his credentials and that he should be in the reckoning for any senior positions going forward.
Some, frighteningly, couldn’t even understand why he was in the gun in the first place, given his record of having won a final each time the Giants had made it to the post-season.
Let’s explore this particular statistic given GWS won finals in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 under Cameron.
Across those five seasons of playing finals, the Giants recorded seven finals wins – three in 2019 and one each in the other four years.
Remarkably, five of those seven wins were against teams that finished higher on the ladder.
“Wow,” I can hear you say. “That’s a tremendous feat of coaching to get them up for those games – to deliver on the big stage like that, particularly as underdogs.”
No.
What this actually shows is how this was a team that underperformed during the home-and-away rounds to the point that it was actually their signature.
The banner year for GWS was 2016, the first finals series in the race between them and fellow expansion club Gold Coast. The Suns of course still haven’t played in one.
(Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
The Giants won 16 games that year, after winning 11 and six in the previous two, and finished with a percentage of 143. They had five players nominated for the All Australian squad, the most of any team.
Not included in those five were other big names like Jeremy Cameron, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield, Phil Davis, Nick Haynes, and the currently under-siege Dylan Shiel.
The sky was genuinely the limit. They played fast footy, their ball movement was sizzling, they kicked big scores and they were genuinely exciting to watch. Sadly, this was all coached out of them.
In the three years after they ‘arrived’, GWS won 14, 13 and 13 games with an accompanying percentage of 114, 114 and 115. Sure, they’re results that St Kilda or Essendon would kill for, but they’re not anywhere near the level they had already set for themselves.
In 2019 the Giants made the grand final after winning two finals by less than a goal and won their prelim without Whitfield, Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio, Callan Ward and Brett Deledio and with Phil Davis injured halfway through.
How could a team capable of such feats so consistently underperform over the course of a season?
The most ridiculous thing that happens in football is when all teams get graded as if on an equal curve. Premiership = awesome. Grand final = sensational. Preliminary final = great. Finals = good.
With the concessions they were given when set up as a club, the talent that has been through the door ever since and the ability to trade that talent out for high draft picks year after year to always have more coming in, the Giants have been by far the most underperforming team across the last decade.
They’ve been crying out for a new coach, and finally they’ll get one.
GWS produced a fitting farewell for Leon Cameron against Carlton. They showed a bit of something here and there, ultimately unflattering, threw in the towel when it mattered the most and were less than the sum of their parts, with gun players having no influence and/or being played out of position.
Possibly the great line in modern AFL media came from Craig Hutchison in 2017, when he questioned whether Leon Cameron could “drive the Ferrari” that the Giants team clearly was. Ultimately he couldn’t.
When the next round of senior coaching jobs comes up, Leon Cameron’s name will no doubt be bandied about. If he is in contention at the team you barrack for, pray that he doesn’t get it.
Clear as mud
Guest
i think i am up the balanced end of the spectrum and have certainly BEEN humbled I do get triggered by Liberals tho
Clear as mud
Guest
iunterrupted preseason. the guy is absolute superstar class
Clear as mud
Guest
Covid, election and the first sunny weekend here for months.
Clear as mud
Guest
where is the mute button here?
Clear as mud
Guest
i agree. starting a club with scratch is probably almost harder with all that expectation and early picks it's not like they added the talent on to an existing player group and really they only ever brought in a few stars, often late in career so i never bought in to this idea that their list was a lock for ultimate success. every single club has great players, and every single club stuffs up some first rounders. they also had bad timing, with the Hawks and then the Tigers building superteams (the latter with a good list only) 2017 was probably their year, it was very open. they might have jagged it if they came 3rd not the Tiges. they were a win and 7% of us with rounds to go. we thrashed Freo, they only just beat the Eagles at home but beat them by 70 in the final a few weeks later). and then the Cats beat them down there by 44 when they only beat us by 14. that's how close it was that year, 4points covering the top 4, Richmond ahead of Giants by 4%. 2016 seemed like a lost opportunity but really winning the first final against the odds had then underprepared for the Bullies Bandwagon. Thye have been a good not great team since, consistent with their list.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Humble in victory- you,Ghost,BFS, Oracle, Obsessed Much , TTF,Realist,missed anyone? I didn’t get the humble vibe from any of you. Eagles no better than 20/80, but,hope springs eternal in a supporters’ heart as you would both know.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Ahhh well, 3 out of 4 was okay I guess. We were humble in victory and humble in defeat. You reminding me is unnecessary and typical of YOU. Eagles any chance this week?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
It could happen
Lukey Miller
Guest
Mark Williams should be the No 1 target for GWS when they look to secure a coach for 2023. If they can't get Chocco, they should then try for Clarkson.
1dawg
Roar Rookie
Yep
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Two words Fremantle dockers
dargerovitch
Roar Rookie
Tee hee , Nick. In your list of players Hawthorn won Flags with there's a missing name. It starts with H , played in four premiership sides, starred in all of them , won Normies, captain in the threepeat. Worth including?
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
He got Collingwood into a grand final, or have you forgotten?
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
So tell me . . . am I wrong?
Nick
Roar Guru
And no prelims with Gaff and Nic Nat in the side. They won a flag without their best 22 on the park.
Boo
Guest
That's why Todd Goldstein not on my Xmas card list if he had come to Geelong we would have won another flag .
Rich_daddy
Roar Guru
"With the concessions they were given when set up as a club, the talent that has been through the door ever since and the ability to trade that talent out for high draft picks year after year to always have more coming in, the Giants have been by far the most underperforming team across the last decade." Three word rebuttal - "Gold Coast Suns"
Macca
Roar Rookie
I am not saying you arre wrong, just that ist would be a massive mistake.
Macca
Roar Rookie
The difference between Hird and Voss (or Ratten for that matter) is that Voss went and worked as a assistant at Port for 7 years - Hird has had virtually no involvement in football since he left Essendon.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Heard might be like Voss- much better second time around... But I'm with your Macca- it's not what I'd want for my club.