RICHO’S TOP 10: Leon Cameron should be given a shot at coaching the Melbourne Demons

1. It looks like the Melbourne coaching job is Nathan Buckley’s if he wants it after Adam Simpson ruled himself out on Monday.

John Longmire has also ruled himself out as he wants another 12 months away from the hot seat of head coaching. Why do I say this? Well, senior assistant coach at the Western Bulldogs Brendan Lade said as much on 3AW Footy. As an assistant that has been through these processes before, he was asked if he wanted the Melbourne job. He said he thought it would be Buckley or Simpson, and now Simpson may have decided it for the Demons by bowing out.

2. Can someone tell me why no one in the media is suggesting Leon Cameron could be in contention to coach again now that a position is available at Melbourne?

Look at his record — it’s very good. He coached the Giants to their first finals, then took them to two preliminary finals in 2016 and 2017, and a grand final in 2019. If I was the Melbourne Football Club board, I would be getting on the blower to Leon. Having played with Leon, he had the best football brain of any player I played with. He was also a great communicator and was like a coach on the field as a teammate. I think he deserves another head coaching job.

3. The one-week ban for Dylan Shiel for pushing Geelong’s Mark O’Connor into a contest has divided opinion.

This sort of action has been an issue since Sam Lalor had his jaw broken in the preseason and the AFL at the time let it slide. It’s now evolved to the point where they have suspended Shiel for the action, not the outcome. Amazing how different these outcomes can be within the space of six months. It’s like it’s a different game now. There was no serious injury in the Shiel-O’Connor incident, but I think we have finally got to the right spot. Surely, bans should be handed down for the action not the consequence as so many this year have been when players were concussed. There could have been serious injury in that incident. Hopefully, it’s about the actions moving forward. Time will tell.

4. I went to the Saints-Tigers game last weekend as a fan.

In the second half, I just watched Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera in isolation — something you can’t do when you are commentating and following the play. He is a football genius. An artist. A chess player out on the ground manipulating the opposing players and the game around him. He sees the game unfolding before anyone else. Nearly every time he touches it, something good happens for the Saints. What a beautiful player to watch. It will be devastating if the Saints are unable to keep this player. He is a once-in-a-generation talent.

5. Well done to the Carlton Football Club board and new CEO Graham Wright on the decision to honour Michael Voss’ contract for his fifth season at the Blues.

I’m not saying the Blues will win the flag in 2026, but recent history says it could be a sliding doors moment for the club. Think Mark Thompson at the Cats, Damien Hardwick at the Tigers, and now Matty Nicks at the Crows. All these clubs were under external pressure and, with good leadership, held the line. The Cats and Tigers reaped the rewards for this. Potentially, the Crows are about to as well. I hope the same happens for Vossy and Carlton.

6. Great story at Essendon with the mid-year recruitment of Liam McMahon.

Drafted at pick 31 by Collingwood in the 2020 draft, he was delisted after two years but stuck to his AFL dream. He looks like a good player. He kicked four goals against the Cats last week and has great forward craft. Most importantly, he just kicks goals. He now has 51 goals for the season — eight at AFL level and 43 in the VFL for the Blues and Bombers. He now looks a certainty to get a deal at the Bombers in 2026 and is a great example to other players to stick at it and keep pursuing your AFL dream. There will be more stories like this once Tassie enters the competition and the talent pool gets stretched.

7. While on big key forwards, the Cats have a beauty in big Shannon Neale from Western Australia.

No one does it better at recruiting and developing players than Geelong. Drafted in 2020, like most players at Geelong, he had to bide his time at VFL level with only five games in the AFL in his first two years. His development this year has been enormous with 34 goals. He is a beast at 200cm and 109kg. He can run as well and has clean dukes in marking contests. He complements his key forward partner Jeremy Cameron so well. Watch for him to hit the scoreboard big time in the next three to four games while teams are focused on Cameron and his race to 100. goals.

8. What a crazy end to this season it’s going to be.

There is a chance that a team could miss the finals with 60 points, a total that in any other years would get a team in the top four. That’s just insane. The supporter base that would be very nervous is the Brisbane Lions’. That loss to the Swans last weekend could be very costly. With Fremantle and the Hawks to come, they must win one of those two to play in September. It’s a fascinating few weeks we have ahead, and the AFL would be pumped with the different scenarios that could play out.

9. You know you are at the very top of Australian Rules football when you are inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

There are only seven footy players in this exclusive club, and the latest is Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall. The third greatest goalkicker in the game has just about got every accolade in the book now. The only thing he hasn’t got is a Brownlow Medal. What a champion he was on the field and is one of the best analysts in the footy media now.

10. I love it when young people do amazing things for their community.

I want to give a shout-out to a young man, Ben Duffy, who is running 52 marathons in 52 weeks. Yep, that’s one a week. He is doing it to raise awareness and funds for The Pat Cronin Foundation — a violence prevention organisation. What an outstanding young man. He’s currently 31 weeks in. You can follow his journey at @_52in52 on Instagram.