GWS CEO David Matthews has made an appearance on SEN’s Crunch Time, addressing mounting speculation that James Hird or Alastair Clarkson will be the next Giants coach following the resignation of Leon Cameron earlier in the week.
Hird, who joined the club as a leadership consultant earlier in the year, firmed as a contender almost immediately after Cameron's announcement.
The former Bombers coach hasn't held a senior coaching position since 2015, but the AFL have already given the 49-year-old the green light to return to the top job in the wake of the Essendon supplements saga.
When asked about Hird, Matthews revealed that he and the club were yet to have a serious discussion about his coaching future.
“It’s a possibility (Hird being more involved in the club) because he’s been involved and he’s obviously got a strong relationship with Mark McVeigh, so I would say it’s a possibility,” Matthews said on SEN's Crunch Time.
“But at this stage he’s been actually away in Europe on some business, and his role with us so far is of a part-time nature and in some ways remote from Melbourne from time-to-time.
“I don’t know, I don’t know what would be in his mind at what is own aspirations would be.
“From our point of view, and I think from the AFL family, we’re all so delighted that he’s back in football and he’s happy and healthy and all of those things and that’s the real priority.
“We’ve also said that his involvement in the club really came (at the discretion of) Leon Cameron himself, he wanted him, Leon was always looking at areas of the club that could improve and wanted him involved.
“His involvement has been beneficial to both parties so far, but I’m not really sure what the future will hold.”
In regards to Clarkson, Matthews revealed that he had seen the former Hawthorn coach on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Thursday evening, where the 54-year-old confirmed that he would be interested in rejoining the coaching ranks, but only with a club with genuine premiership credentials.
Despite Clarkson's apparent enthusiasm to reclaim a top job and the sudden job availability, Matthews revealed that the master coach is not a current candidate for the Giants role.
“I thought it was compelling viewing, I enjoyed it,” Matthews said.
“That’s the theatre of this game… it was unusual timing, it was a great coincidence, but clearly when someone as revered as he is with the track record he has, his name is going to come up in those sorts of conversations.
looks on during the round 14 AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks at the Sydney Cricket Ground on June 21, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
“But it's just not a topic of conversation for us right now, we are focused on what is in front of us and we’ll form that committee and develop a sort of list of competencies and other things and move into a process.
“I think most people would have the imagination that he would coach again.
“He clearly still has the passion and the drive.
“He continues to seek knowledge… if he’s got enthusiasm, I’m sure there’s a job somewhere at some point across the competition, but who knows.”
Cameron will coach his last game at GWS in Round 9 as the Giants take on Carlton on Sunday afternoon, with long-time assistant coach Mark McVeigh to take the reins as caretaker coach for the remainder of the season.
