Defenders on how to stop Geelong star Jeremy Cameron

Even for two defenders who have spent the most time on Jeremy Cameron, how to stop the superstar is still a mystery.

Jeremy Cameron is in re-hot form. Pic: Michael Klein

Even for two of the footballers who have spent the most time trying to curb Jeremy Cameron, the task remains a daunting mystery.

The superstar Cat has left opposition defenders muddled in the opening month of the season, booting 18 goals and even drawing some talk he could breakthrough as a rare non-midfielder to win the Brownlow Medal.

Jeremy Cameron lines up at goal . Pic: Michael Klein

Cameron’s average of 4.5 goals a game would see him kick a ton if he played every game in the home-and-away season.

His form has been pulsating since even before round 1 though as Geelong defenders Esava Ratugolea and Jake Kolodjashnij can attest.

Cameron paid a high compliment to Ratugolea earlier this year by saying the reborn defender was tough to play on, but Ratugolea said he had no idea what to do when manning Cameron at training.

“Jezza is the best player in the comp. I can’t speak highly enough of him and it’s amazing how much trust we can put in him,” Ratugolea said.

“He is a key forward that plays like a midfielder. He gets high up the ground and I lose him. he is a completely different player to what I am, he kicks better than a lot of midfielders as well and he hits the scoreboard.

“I highly rate him. I think he is the best player in the comp and I am just glad I get to work along with him and learn off him and he teaches me a lot.”

Cameron’s ability to lose an opponent with his athleticism is mirrored in the awe some teammates had on Easter Monday, as he booted seven goals against Hawthorn.

Some Cats remarked that it wasn’t so much that they were looking to kick it to Cameron – he just appeared where the ball was.

Kolodjashnij is Geelong’s go-to man to shut down the opposition’s best medium defenders.

Having manned the likes of Dustin Martin and Jordan De Goey in recent years, he knows all about the pressure of a firing forward and he said he was feeling for the Hawks defenders on Monday.

“That’s the beauty of our forward line, we get the practice on the best forwards in the comp,” Kolodjashnij said.

“It is tough, especially when it is coming in hot. I can imagine the Hawthorn boys were feeling it in that period, it is tough. It is not fun playing against those boys, especially when we get them good supply like that.”

Originally published as Defenders on how to stop Geelong star Jeremy Cameron