Senior Charlie Cameron (2017-)

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The Charlie Cameron History Of Crows v Lions

Sunday 10 August 2014 wasn’t exactly the best day in Brisbane Lions history. It was as bad as it gets. But it introduced local fans to a young player who 10 years on is a huge club favourite looking forward to a monster game at the Gabba on Sunday at the end of a very big week.

Charlie Cameron was introduced to Lions fans on that day, playing his fifth AFL game for the Adelaide Crows and his first at the Gabba as the Crows scored a 105-point win.

It is still the Lions’ biggest loss at the Gabba, but at least the legacy lives on.

Cameron at the time was largely unknown to Brisbane football people despite being born in Mt.Isa and, after doing his primary schooling on Mornington Island, finishing his education in Brisbane.

He’d played baseball, rugby union and rugby league at a high level, and a handful of Australian football games at Marist College Ashgrove, where he was a boarder. He spent six months in the Lions Academy but after graduating in 2011 moved with his family to Newman in Western Australia, 1200km north of Perth.

He’d dropped off the Queensland football radar as he was recruited by WAFL club Swan Districts from the north and drafted by the Adelaide Crows as a rookie in November 2013.

The young tearaway had played six games in the SANFL early in 2013 before playing Rounds 9-10-11-12 in the AFL. He had 35 possessions and 15 tackles and kicked five goals – three against Fremantle in Round 12.

A groin injury sidelined him for the next five weeks, but after two SANFL games he was recalled by third-year coach Brenton Sanderson for his Gabba debut. He joined a 22-year-old Jarryd Lyons and Tom Lynch of St.Kilda and Adelaide fame in replacing James Podsiadly (rested), Scott Thompson (injured) and Rory Laird (dropped).

Also in the visiting side were 24-year-old pair Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker and a 22-year-old Brodie Smith as Queenslander Jono Freeman debuted for Brisbane under Justin Leppitsch alongside Dayne Zorko in his 57th game and an 18-year-old Darcy Gardiner in game #14.

It was a slaughter. Walker kicked six goals as the Crows won 25-18 (168) to 9-9 (63) despite 40 possessions from Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, as Cameron, then wearing jumper #42, had 13 possessions, two tackles and kicked 1-3.

It was an immediate Cameron farewell to second-tier football. He finished the year in the top side and hasn’t looked back, playing 22-20-24 games in the next three years, including the 2017 grand final, before requesting a trade to Brisbane. And after his first Lions season ended with a Round 11 knee injury he’s played 133 games without a miss.

He’s played in the last 12 games between the clubs – five for five wins and eight goals for Adelaide, and seven for a 5-1-1 record for Brisbane to go with 20 goals.

The dual All-Australian and four-time Lions leading goal-kicker has had countless special moments in a wonderful career, but even he will remember this week as being extra special.

Having signed a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Lions colors until the end of 2028, and celebrated his 30th birthday today (Friday), he’ll be keen to celebrate as the eighth-placed Lions, with an 8-1-6 record, face the 14th-placed Crows (5-1-9) in a danger game.

Brisbane are 5-1-3 against Adelaide under Chris Fagan, but their last three meetings produced a draw at Adelaide Oval in Round 9 this year, a six-point Brisbane win at the Gabba and a 17-point Adelaide win at AO in 2023.
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