One of the great forwards of the modern era is set to play his 250th AFL game this weekend, when Jeremy Cameron and the Cats face Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
From a town with an approximate population of 300 people, to the sandy beaches of Sydney and back to Geelong, Cameron’s story has been nothing short of fascinating from the very beginning.
The star forward’s journey in the hoops started at the end of the 2020 season, when he joined Geelong from the GWS Giants via a trade.
Now four seasons into his career with the Cats, Cameron has become a premiership player, a Carji Greeves Medallist (2022) and earned another All-Australian selection (2022) since joining Geelong.
An undisputed champion of the game, the star forward has booted 629 goals across 249 games, featuring strongly in the Coleman Medal race over the years with a win and five top-five finishes in the past 12 seasons.
Cameron’s footballing journey began in the rural Victorian township of Dartmoor, forced to play reserves from the age of 14 because they did not have a junior side.
His first full season of senior football came two years later, where he booted 69 goals as a 16-year-old, which landed him on the radar of the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup.
Having to travel over 250 kilometres for home games in Ballarat, Cameron dominated the TAC Cup competition, which resulted in him being recruited by the GWS Giants in 2010.
As an underage player, Cameron spent the 2011 season playing in the Giants’ NEAFL side in preparation for the club’s inaugural AFL season the following year.
His AFL debut came in the Giants’ first-ever game, when they faced Sydney in the opening round of the 2012 season.
Cameron went on to build a very solid resume across nine seasons with GWS, playing 171 games and booting 427 goals, still to this day leading the Giants’ all-time goal kicking tally.
The spearhead was the first GWS player to make an All-Australian team (2013), while also winning the 2019 Coleman Medal and a best and fairest award along the way.
But, at the end of 2020, the opportunity to return to Victoria presented itself, and Cameron joined Geelong via trade in exchange for three first round draft picks.
Across his four years at the Club, Cameron has consistently been a star but 2022 is widely regarded as one of his best individual seasons.
Not only did he become a premiership player, but Cameron also made the All-Australian team, won the Carji Greeves Medal (sharing the honour with Cameron Guthrie) and finished eighth in the Brownlow Medal count.
Now 31 years old, the star forward has shown no signs of slowing down, booting 45 goals and averaging over 16 disposals per game across his 19 appearances to date in 2024.
It all adds up to an incredible resume and a tremendous story, with Cameron set to add another milestone as he plays his 250th AFL game on Saturday against Fremantle.
