Two years ago Geelong handed over a record three first-round picks to the GWS Giants to secure Jeremy Cameron.
The deal saw the Cats land Cameron as well as two second-round selections in exchange for Picks 13, 15, 20 and a future fourth rounder in an unprecedented bounty for the Giants after they matched his free agency offer and forced a trade.
Although 16 other clubs probably would’ve happily handed over such a monster haul for Cameron, it’s fair to say the bold move paid off for the Cats after Cameron’s crucial role in helping lead the club to a 10th AFL premiership on Saturday.
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“It was a decision that could’ve set the club back because they gave away so many draft picks … ultimately while he wasn’t as important today, he certainly was serious player throughout the season,” Brownlow medalist Gerard Healy said on AFL Nation after the Cats’ grand final win over Sydney.
“Centre-half forward in the All-Australian side. Probably his best year ever I suspect.”
Although Saturday wasn’t the superstar forward’s best game, he still finished with two goals from 18 disposals to cap off a brilliant second season at Geelong after his 2021 was plagued by hamstring injuries.
Cameron booted 65 goals this year – the second-best return of his career – from 24 games in a unique forward/midfield role that paid massive dividends for the Cats – and caused big headaches for rivals.
He was given more freedom to roam up the ground and consistently proved to be a matchup nightmare in one of Chris Scott’s many master stroke moves while forming probably the league’s most powerful key forward duo with Tom Hawkins.
In addition to Cameron winning his first flag, it also saw him claim his third All-Australian blazer, and for many, the 29-year old was the competition’s most valuable player in 2022.
It may sound easy to praise the Cameron trade on Geelong’s end in retrospect , but of course, several mega deals for stars have gone the other way.
They include Adelaide, Collingwood and Essendon all handing over two first-round picks for Bryce Gibbs, Dayne Beams and Dylan Shiel respectively in recent years.
Geelong itself has probably benefited from being on the other end of such a deal with the Tim Kelly trade in 2019 that also saw it gain two-first round picks from West Coast — one of which was forwarded to GWS for Cameron
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Two first rounders has become the new-age price tag for any superstar looking to move clubs in a significant investment in that player despite other picks coming back the other way in all aforementioned exchanges.
Although the Cameron deal should be looked at differently — and did of course include an extra first-round selection — given the notion that star key forwards are more valuable than star midfielders.
Prior to arriving at Geelong, Cameron had already claimed a Coleman Medal, two All-Australians, a best and fairest and led the Giants’ goalkicking for nine-straight seasons. He had every claim to being a top 10 player in the league.
So while it was a gamble of sorts for Geelong to hand over so much draft capital for one player, there was no question marks on the quality of that player.
The Cats acquired Cameron right in the sweet spot too, both for where the club was at — coming off a grand final loss to Richmond — and with Cameron in his absolute prime years at 27 years of age when the trade went through.
Cameron will now go down in the history books at the Cattery as a premiership player, which came three years after he was on the other side of such a result on the last day of September in GWS’ horror 89-point grand final loss to Richmond in 2019.
“From that day when I was Giants player I wanted to get back to a grand final and give it another shot,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“Waking up this morning was a completely different feeling (to 2019).
“I felt like we had a perfect opportunity to give it a great crack and win it so to do that it‘s pretty special.”
The Cameron trade exemplifies the Cats’ strategy of going all out to secure a premiership despite criticism that their list was too old to add to their cabinet of silverware.
This is a club that’s done things its own way for several years in a unique approach, yet is consistently doing what every other club strives for.
Despite fielding the oldest team, not just in grand final history, but to ever line-up in an AFL game in Saturday’s decider with an average age of 28 years and 173 days, you sense the evergreen Cats aren’t done yet competing for flags.
Cameron will clearly have a crucial role to play in that, and if key forward partner Hawkins is anything to go by, he could also be playing at a high level well into his 30s.
“I‘ve only been here for two years but what they’ve been able to do for a long time before that is incredible,” Cameron said.
“I knew they (Geelong) were old before I came here, but I also knew they‘ve got players that just want to win.
“It‘s such a special place when it all comes together.”
