Charlie Cameron steals the show in Crows reserves side’s debut

THE Adelaide Crows’ reserves side’s first hit-out was an impressive 71-point win over Sturt in a trial match at AAMI Stadium.

HEARD of Charlie Cameron, Crows fans? Maybe not yet, but you soon will.

Adelaide’s reserves SANFL trial against Sturt at AAMI Stadium on Saturday was meant to be about how midfield gun Brad Crouch and defensive veteran Brent Reilly pulled through in their returns from injury.

And after the carnage in the Crows’ AFL warm-up clash against GWS at Blacktown on Friday, it also became a mission to find a potential replacement for Tom Lynch, if scans today show the forward’s shoulder injury is more serious than hoped.

That search for contenders ended abruptly enough after Lewis Johnston bagged seven goals with his trademark accuracy as the reserves’ key forward target, spearheading the 19.18 (132) to 9.7 (61) win.

Crouch, in his first hit-out since a pre-season Achilles injury, and Reilly, playing his first game since the shoulder injury he suffered last year, each made successful returns that will encourage senior coach Brenton Sanderson.

But, in a practice match where there was not even a scoreboard to show Adelaide’s 71-point winning margin over the Double Blues, the interest was instead hijacked by a virtually unknown Western Australian plucked from the bargain bin that is the rookie draft, wearing a No. 42 Crows jumper and lurking in Adelaide’s forward half.

Cameron had played in the Crows’ opening NAB Challenge clash against Port Adelaide, but nothing like this.

The speedy small forward finished with 2.5 for the day — and it could have easily been seven straight if not for two posters and three other near misses.

Cameron has cult hero written all over him, but housemate and prize recruit Eddie Betts rightly stands in his way for senior selection early in the season.

“He’s going to be a crowd favourite — him and Eddie,” Crows reserves coach Heath Younie said.

“What a forward line if you got those two going. He looks exciting.”

Forward Johnston could be the Round 1 winner in Lynch’s untimely injury setback after a powerful marking and goaling effort in attack.

“It wasn’t so much the seven goals that we were happy with, it was more his effort,” Younie said.

“I can’t control what ‘Sando’ will do and I won’t have too much input to it, they’ll pick who they want to play, but it’s great for Lewis to play well.

“Time will tell what happens there.”

Among other familiar names Sam Kerridge excelled in booting four goals from midfield and attack, Jared Petrenko covered every blade of grass from deep defence to the forward goal line, and reserves captain Ian Callinan played a leader’s game.