Leon Cameron has pulled out of the race for the Essendon coaching role, reports SEN broadcaster Gerard Whateley.
Cameron, who departed GWS earlier this year after nine seasons at the helm, emerged as a contender for the Bombers position despite being linked to head up the Sydney Swans’ Academy program.
But according to Whateley, he’ll remain in Sydney for 2023, joining Ross Lyon in ruling himself out of the mix for Essendon’s vacancy.
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“Essendon’s coaching process, Leon Cameron is not going to participate in that,” he told AFL Nation.
“He was contacted by the Bombers in recent days but he’s going to stay with his original plan, that’s to remain in Sydney for next year to take a breather from senior coaching, to develop on a personal front for a future opportunity, but he is going to stay active in footy in Sydney.
“Tom Harley (Sydney CEO) told us last week that the Swans were going to meet with him, but I suspect we’ll learn in the next 48 hours what that looks like with Leon Cameron and the Swans.
“But he’s not going to participate in the Essendon process. It was erroneously reported yesterday that he was interested, that’s not the case.”
It comes as journalist Tom Browne reports AFL football operations boss Brad Scott has emerged as a “serious contender” for the Bombers position as the ex-Kangaroos coach weighs up throwing his hat in the ring despite reports he’d also withdrawn from the race.
Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson this week confirmed Scott was not “completely out of he running”.
“I would not be surprised if Essendon had another crack at Brad Scott. That would be my understanding,” Wilson told Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“People who know Brad and are close to Brad … are adamant that he will coach again.”
Other names thought to be in the mix include senior assistant coaches like Adem Yze (Melbourne), Jaymie Graham (Fremantle) and Daniel Giansiracusa (Essendon) and Don Pyke (Sydney).
The Bombers last month named their six-person sub committee to choose their next senior coach including club footy boss Josh Mahoney, Hawks legend Jordan Lewis and Australian Football Hall of Hamer Robert Walls
