Greater Western Sydney is now on the hunt for the third senior coach in the club's history following Leon Cameron's resignation on Thursday.
Cameron leaves the New South Welsh club after 192 games and nine years at the helm, taking the Giants to the September action in five of the last six seasons.
While assistant Mark McVeigh will step into a caretaker role from Round 10 onwards, the Giants will be beginning their search for a new mentor to replace the departing Cameron.
The decision has left the Giants to be the first club in 2022 to scout for a senior coach, with either experienced targets, untried assistants or in-house options now on their radar.
Here we name 13 options the Giants could consider to replace Leon Cameron.
An experienced coach
Alastair Clarkson - The first name that comes to mind when you ponder who could be keen on returning to the hot seat. Clarkson has been flagged as a likely candidate for coaching since the second he stepped foot outside of Waverley.
The four-time premiership coach turned down the advances of Carlton and Collingwood last year in favour of a break from the AFL, with Clarkson having been heavily tied to jobs at the Suns and even potential AFL expansion in Tasmania during his gap year.
While the Giants are likely to open discussions with Clarkson, the coaching great could also see the Harbour City club as an ideal landing spot for his return to the coaching landscape. The Giants have a list that's filled with ready-made and emerging talent, and would gain unparalleled tutelage from the former Hawks boss.
James Hird - Should the Giants seek a coach who has already stepped into the limelight, they may not have to look too far.
Hird joined the Giants in January in a consultancy role to aid with the club's leadership qualities for the year ahead, and suddenly could find himself back in the coaching frame.
Seven years on from his Essendon departure, Hird could be welcomed back into the fold as senior coach of the Giants as little pushback now stands in his way.
Don Pyke - The former Crows senior coach was another name linked to coaching opportunities last year, with the Swans assistant instead opting to remain under the wing of John Longmire.
Pyke ruled himself out of contention for the vacant Collingwood position due to family reasons and a reluctance to return to senior coaching after joining the Swans.
With a vacancy now open across town, could Pyke consider stepping into a more senior role for the second time? The American-born ex-coach brought a lively gameplan to the Crows and could be of interest to the Giants in the wake of Cameron's departure.
An in-house option
Mark McVeigh - The Giants assistant has already been confirmed as the interim senior coach from the club's Round 9 fixture with Carlton. While McVeigh perhaps hasn't gained the lauds of other senior assistants in the AFL, a nod as a caretaker is sure to have him considered in the race.
Should the Giants see a turn in their fortunes under McVeigh, the former Bomber could follow a trend that saw David Teague and Rhyce Shaw earn the top jobs at Carlton and North Melbourne in 2019.
Can’t wait to see what Mark Mcveigh will do with the @GWSGIANTS for the remainder of 2022..
Is a Great human.
Players hold him in the highest regard.
Will do it his way, all in & the stakes will be high. #competitor #allaboard 💪— Dean Solomon (@SollySolomon) May 11, 2022
Steve Johnson - The Geelong great returned to Sydney's west following a three-year stint with the Swans as an assistant coach. While less likely than McVeigh, Johnson has been outed as a future senior coach dating back to his playing days.
READ: TOP FIVE CARETAKER COACHES THAT BECAME SENIOR COACHES
Amon Buchanan - Like Johnson, Buchanan is seemingly behind McVeigh in the Giants' pecking order. However, the former Swans and Lions forward has held a lengthy tenure with GWS, first starting at the end of the 2013 season.
An untried assistant
Adem Yze - The Melbourne great has been touted as a future senior coach throughout impressive stints with Hawthorn and, more recently, the Demons. Simon Goodwin has already endorsed his right-hand man as a fitting option to replace Cameron at the Giants.
“Adem, I’m sure, will be a fine senior coach when that time comes. From a process perspective, we’re always open to our people exploring those things and progressing their careers at the right time," Goodwin said.
Jaymie Graham - The Dockers assistant has been regarded as one of the most highly-rated assistant coaches in the competition, having previously been considered for vacancies at Collingwood and North Melbourne in recent years.
The Kalgoorlie native switched from West Coast to Fremantle in the recent off-season and has led the Dockers in two matches this season in the absence of senior coach Justin Longmuir, with the Cockburn club recording wins over the Eagles and Giants under Graham's watch.
Blake Caracella - The journeyman has stuck his hand up to be a senior coach in the AFL after holding roles under Mick Malthouse, Chris Scott and Damien Hardwick.
Currently the assistant to Ben Rutten, Caracella has been coaching for 15 years and recently expressed his desire to take on greater duties.
Brendon Lade - Lade has pieced together a formidable resume across stints as an assistant with Richmond, Port Adelaide, and more recently, St Kilda.
Lade has held vast roles as a forward, midfield and ruck mentor in his time in the coaches box and could be ready to take the next step in his career.
Ashley Hansen - The Carlton assistant coach is one of several to have stepped into the shoes of their senior coaches this season, with Hansen leading the Blues to a win over the Western Bulldogs in Round 2.
Hansen ventured to Princes Park at the end of last season after nine seasons at Whitten Oval, joining Carlton as their forward and offensive coach.
Adam Kingsley - Kinglsey was another assistant that was in close contention for an AFL senior coaching role at the end of last season, with both Carlton and Collingwood both having shown interest in the Richmond assistant.
As AFL jobs continue to open up, you can expect Kinglsey's name to likely be in consideration before he lands his maiden senior coaching stint.
Daniel Giansiracusa - The former Bulldogs departed a strong stint at Whitten Oval in favour of an assistant role under Essendon senior coach Ben Rutten ahead of the 2021 season.
Giansiracusa is another who had gained some attention as a potential successor for Rhyce Shaw at Arden Street before the job was appointed to David Noble.
