The form of Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron is again raising eyebrows, with the champion forward having a extremely quiet night in the elimination final against Carlton on Friday night.
In fact, Cameron — who finished the game with just nine touches, one mark and no goals — was accused of “kick chasing”, and Channel 7 expert Kane Cornes described his game at the MCG as “sad”.
Following the Cats’ impressive victory over the Blues, Cameron was asked how he was coping with the mental challenges, admitting the season had been his most “mentally demanding” due to various injuries.
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Cameron broke his arm in last year’s grand final, which has caused him some lingering issues. He has also battled through some shoulder/AC joint concerns.
“I’ve been really lucky enough to still play some footy, which is good, but the niggle that has been ongoing — and in saying this, there’s probably 80 per cent of players who are playing with something throughout the season — but it’s taken a bit of a toll this year,” Cameron said after last night’s game.
Coach Chris Scott was also quizzed about Cameron’s game, particularly about his role in defence.
“I like him everywhere,” Scott said.
“He’s had his challenges as well, so we’ve been thoughtful in the way we use him … We think he’s building to some good form, and the longer the game went, we thought the better he looked.
“I’m pretty sure he will play a variety of positions … In the day when he came to our club, we sort of said if we had two of them, we’d probably play one of them back.”
But Cornes was scathing of Cameron’s positional switch.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this … particularly (about) someone who’s going to be an Australian Football Hall of Famer, who’s nearly kicked 800 goals, but I thought it was sad watching Jeremy Cameron play the way that he played tonight, I really did,” the Channel 7 commentator said.
“He started across half-back, he then sort of drifted forward, then he went to the wing, but if you’re (Fremantle coach) Justin Longmuir, you are praying they use him in this way next week.
“Like, this is a guy who has kicked 775 goals and he was kick chasing in the back half … three disposals in the front half for the night.
“I saw him wrapping around the back. He was looking for lateral little short kicks and cheap stats — I’m just going to say it how it is.”
Cornes even suggested there may not be a role for Cameron in the team if he’s not being used as a “forward destructive player”.
“I know he comes up the ground and he loses his opponent, but it’s always for the disguise to get back and get a mismatch. It’s never to come up the ground and get cheap disposals in the back half,” Cornes told AFL Media.
“So I would hope on reflection they look at that.
“Clearly they love (young forward Jay) Polkinghorne, they wanted to keep him in, so the way that they’ve done that is to put Cameron in a different position, but as I said, it was just a bit sad watching a legend run around playing the way that he played tonight.”
At one point in the last quarter, with about 12 minutes to go, Seven commentator James Brayshaw said Cameron was “just wandering around”.
“He’s had seven of it. Got no interest now in the game at all,” Brayshaw said.
Dale Thomas added: “He’s been on the wing, half-forward. He’s coming for a spell now. He’s had enough.”
