Former star Cat Steve Johnson was known for two things in his time at the Cats, his sublime skill level and his larrikinism.
But when it came time for his former teammate and good friend Jeremy Cameron to pick which number he wanted to wear at Geelong, his seriousness came through.
“Having the No 5, I know there is a lot of history in this club in that jumper so to be given the opportunity to wear it if I want to is a big thing and I look forward to running out there and doing my best in the No 5,” Cameron said.
“(Johnson) went through the history of pretty much every jumper over a few beers at dinner and it was good to have that chat.
“It’s a great number to be running out there in but I know there is a lot of hard work between now and then and I am looking forward to that more than anything to be honest.”
The jumper is potentially the most revered of all at the Cats with names such as Graham “Polly” Farmer, Gary Ablett Snr and dual premiership player Travis Varcoe among those to wear it.
With Farmer and Ablett holding the top two spots in the Cats greatest ever players and Varcoe a premiership hero for the Cats, Cameron is wanting to leave his own legacy on the guernsey beginning in 2021.
"I want to have my best season I've ever had," Cameron declared.
"I don't want to set low goals. I want to set a really high standard and train really hard over the summer and I've already started that probably about six weeks ago.
"So, I feel like I'm moving well."
That best season ever would be something the Cats would love to see. In 2019, the forward booted 76.50 on the way to winning the Coleman Medal and earning All Australian honours.
One thing Cameron does know is that the scrutiny for him in a traditional football town like Geelong will be higher than in Western Sydney.
“I’m sort of a laid-back type but I know definitely coming to a big club in Geelong, there’s gonna be a little bit more scrutiny when you don’t play well,” Cameron said.
“But at the same time when you do play well, it’s going to be really good as well.
“So, I know that’s all a part of footy and that was a part of my decision coming in, so I look forward to what that brings and what that looks like.”
