Former GWS coach Leon Cameron admits expansion clubs regularly losing young stars to Victorian giants is “not great” for the AFL.
Cameron, who has become coaching director of the Sydney Swans’ academy, grappled with trying to keep players at the Giants during nearly a decade in charge at GWS.
It comes as Richmond, who have won three premiership since 2017, are expected to land star Giants midfielders Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper on hefty long-term contracts during the trade period.
Former first-round draft pick Tanner Bruhn is also expected to request a move to a Victorian club after just two seasons with the Giants.
GWS have lost Jeremy Cameron (Geelong), Dylan Shiel and Jye Caldwell (Essendon) in recent years as they have dropped out of premiership contention.
“A side (GWS) that finishes 16th (this season) loses two guys, one (Taranto) has won a best and fairest, and one (Hopper) has finished in the top-four three or four times, it doesn’t seem right,” Cameron told SEN.
“The last four or five years it has been tough, because of losing players like (Jeremy) Cameron and talking about Hopper and Taranto and Caldwell … I don’t know the perfect answer of how you can stop it.
“It doesn’t look great for the game, you don’t want kids being developed at the Gold Coast Suns or the Giants, two start-up clubs, and then all of a sudden they get to their peak five or six years in and then bang they’re gone.”
Cameron, who exited GWS in May, had a short conversation with Essendon football manager Josh Mahoney about the Bombers’ vacant top job.
But the 50-year-old decided he was not ready to consider another senior coaching position.
“Some part of your brain wants to throw your hat in the ring but then the other half goes no, I’ve got some family commitments here,” Cameron told SEN.
“I just kept looking at myself saying, ‘I’m not ready, I need to reflect.’
“I love footy and coaching, but I can’t go in at 95 per cent.”
By Oliver Caffrey in Melbourne
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