Leon Cameron (born 2 September 1972) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who is the former senior coach of the

Greater Western Sydney Giants The Greater Western Sydney Giants (officially the Greater Western Sydney Football Club and colloquially known as the GWS Giants or simply GWS or Giants) are a professional Australian rules football club based in Sydney Olympic Park which repres ...

(GWS) in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

(AFL). His AFL playing career lasted from 1990 to 2003 and included 256 senior games – 172 for the

Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray. The club competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition. Originally named the Footscray F ...

and 84 for .

AFL playing career

Footscray/Western Bulldogs

Cameron was recruited from

South Warrnambool Football Club The South Warrnambool Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Roosters, are an Australian rules football and netball club that competes in the Hampden Football Netball League, Hampden Football League. The club is based in the regional Victorian cit ...

with the 7th selection in the 1988 National draft for the Footscray Football Club (Bulldogs). He played 172 games and kicked 68 goals for the Bulldogs between 1990 and 1999 and won the Charles Sutton Medal in 1993 and

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

Footballer of the Year award in 1995.

Richmond

In 2000, Cameron was traded to the

Richmond Football Club The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers or colloquially the Tiges, is a professional Australian rules football team competing in the Australian Football League (AFL). Founded in 1885 in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Ric ...

where he played a further 84 games and kicked 40 goals over four seasons before retiring at the end of the 2003 AFL season.

AFL coaching career

Assistant coaching roles

After retirement Cameron returned to the

as an assistant coach from 2004 to the end of 2010. In September 2010 he accepted an assistant coaching role with Hawthorn, playing an instrumental role in the club as they reached the 2012 AFL Grand Final, which was lost to the Swans. It was Cameron's first Grand Final as an AFL player or coach after three preliminary final losses as a player (two at the Western Bulldogs and one at ) and another four as an assistant coach (three at the Bulldogs and one at Hawthorn). Cameron then joined Greater Western Sydney as the senior assistant coach for the 2013 season with a contract that appointed him as the senior coach from 2014.

First senior coaching role

Greater Western Sydney

On 1 September 2013, after Kevin Sheedy coached his 679th and final game as a senior coach in the VFL-AFL, the competing teams formed a guard of honour for Sheedy and a handover ceremony took place with Sheedy passing the baton to Leon Cameron who succeeded him as senior coach."Gary Ablett stars as Kevin Sheedy's coaching career ends with an 83-point loss"
''News Ltd'', 1 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013. Cameron's contract, signed in October 2012, stipulated one year as assistant coach under senior coach Sheedy and then 3 years as the senior coach. Cameron's tenure saw the Giants reach five out of a possible six finals series between 2016 and 2021, the most memorable among those being the Giants' narrow preliminary final loss to eventual premiers the , as well as Greater Western Sydney's inaugural grand final appearance in

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, where they were defeated by by 89 points. Despite the Giants making the 2021 AFL finals series, Cameron resigned as senior coach of GWS Giants on 12 May 2022 after eight years in the senior coaching role. This followed a string of poor on-field results for the Giants, and saw Cameron replaced by assistant coach Mark McVeigh as GWS caretaker senior coach for the rest of the 2022 season, following a farewell game against Carlton in Round 9, 2022. In the match, GWS lost by a margin of 30 points, and Cameron left the field through a guard of honour from both sides.

Statistics

Playing statistics

: , - , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 20 , , 8 , , 10 , , 258 , , 129 , , 387 , , 74 , , 13 , , 0.4 , , 0.5 , , 12.9 , , 6.5 , , 19.4 , , 3.7 , , 0.7 , , 10 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 19 , , 10 , , 11 , , 241 , , 79 , , 320 , , 57 , , 10 , , 0.5 , , 0.6 , , 12.7 , , 4.2 , , 16.8 , , 3.0 , , 0.5 , , 2 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 3 , , 0 , , 0 , , 22 , , 7 , , 29 , , 1 , , 0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 7.3 , , 2.3 , , 9.7 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 19 , , 8 , , 11 , , 314 , , 123 , , 437 , , 59 , , 24 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 16.5 , , 6.5 , , 23.0 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , 14 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 24 , , 13 , , 24 , , 328 , , 136 , , 464 , , 97 , , 25 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , 13.7 , , 5.7 , , 19.3 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , 13 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 23 , , 7 , , 19 , , 336 , , 135 , , 471 , , 85 , , 24 , , 0.3 , , 0.8 , , 14.6 , , 5.9 , , 20.5 , , 3.7 , , 1.0 , , 7 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 8 , , 3 , , 1 , , 74 , , 28 , , 102 , , 22 , , 9 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 9.3 , , 3.5 , , 12.8 , , 2.8 , , 1.1 , , 0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 17 , , 6 , , 10 , , 207 , , 59 , , 266 , , 62 , , 7 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 12.2 , , 3.5 , , 15.6 , , 3.6 , , 0.4 , , 3 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 22 , , 6 , , 5 , , 276 , , 90 , , 366 , , 80 , , 19 , , 0.3 , , 0.2 , , 12.5 , , 4.1 , , 16.6 , , 3.6 , , 0.9 , , 0 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 18 , , 17 , , 7 , , 11 , , 164 , , 63 , , 227 , , 57 , , 6 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 9.6 , , 3.7 , , 13.4 , , 3.4 , , 0.4 , , 2 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 15 , , 19 , , 3 , , 3 , , 257 , , 79 , , 336 , , 73 , , 19 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 13.5 , , 4.2 , , 17.7 , , 3.8 , , 1.0 , , 3 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 15 , , 25 , , 19 , , 6 , , 344 , , 139 , , 483 , , 111 , , 33 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 13.8 , , 5.6 , , 19.3 , , 4.4 , , 1.3 , , 11 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 15 , , 19 , , 2 , , 10 , , 184 , , 91 , , 275 , , 59 , , 23 , , 0.1 , , 0.5 , , 9.7 , , 4.8 , , 14.5 , , 3.1 , , 1.2 , , 2 , - ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, style="text-align:center;", , 15 , , 21 , , 16 , , 4 , , 175 , , 57 , , 232 , , 90 , , 15 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 8.3 , , 2.7 , , 11.0 , , 4.3 , , 0.7 , , 1 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=3, Career ! 256 ! 108 ! 125 ! 3180 ! 1215 ! 4395 ! 927 ! 227 ! 0.4 ! 0.5 ! 12.4 ! 4.7 ! 17.2 ! 3.6 ! 0.9 ! 68

Coaching statistics

: , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, , 22 , , 6 , , 16 , , 0 , , 27.3% , , 16 , , 18 , - , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

, , 22 , , 11 , , 11 , , 0 , , 50.0% , , 11 , , 18 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

, , 24 , , 17 , , 7 , , 0 , , 70.8% , , 4 , , 18 , - , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, , 25 , , 15 , , 8 , , 2 , , 60.0% , , 4 , , 18 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, , 24 , , 14 , , 9 , , 0 , , 58.3% , , 7 , , 18 , - , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

, , 26 , , 16 , , 10 , , 1 , , 61.5% , , 6 , , 18 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, , 17 , , 8 , , 9 , , 0 , , 47.1% , , 10 , , 18 , - , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, , 24 , , 12 , , 11 , , 1 , , 52.1% , , 7 , , 18 , - style="background-color: #EAEAEA" , scope="row" style="font-weight:normal",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, , 9 , , 2 , , 7 , , 0 , , 22.2% , , 15 , , 18 , - class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2, Career totals ! 193 ! 101 ! 88 ! 4 ! 53.37% ! colspan=2, Notes

References

External links

*
GWS website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Leon 1972 births Living people Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Richmond Football Club players Western Bulldogs players Greater Western Sydney Giants coaches Charles Sutton Medal winners South Warrnambool Football Club players Victorian State of Origin players