All-Australian Lions forward Charlie Cameron on why he asked to be traded out of the Crows at the end of 2017
Charlie Cameron has detailed the timeline of events leading up to his trade from Adelaide to Brisbane in 2017 including his exit interview and why he was so unhappy at the Crows.
Crows
Don't miss out on the headlines from Crows. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Graham Cornes: Why Crows must follow the (former) leader
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Charlie Cameron has opened up on just how unhappy he was at Adelaide, and how and why he asked to be traded to Brisbane, where he has become an All-Australian two years later.
Speaking on Lions teammate Mitch Robinson’s podcast Rip Through It last week, Cameron discussed his “awkward” golf game with Crows coaches after the 2017 grand final, how David Teague accidentally broadcast the news he was leaving on speaker phone and why he wasn’t enjoying his footy at Adelaide.
The 25-year-old said he had offers from West Coast but asked to be traded to Brisbane despite still having a year left to run on his contract at Adelaide where he felt like a “traffic cone”.
Stream every match of the 2019 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final live and on-demand on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
Last week, Cameron was crowned All-Australian after setting himself a goal to make the squad at the beginning of the year and kicking 54 goals to finish third in the race for the Coleman Medal.
In the expansive chat with Robinson, Cameron also talks about being dropped by Crows coach Brenton Sanderson in 2014 for what he believes was because he was laughing on the plane after a loss, living with Eddie Betts and his US-inspired goal celebrations including the motorbike throttle.
“I didn’t think I was going to play my best footy at Adelaide at that time, I had my exit review and I said ‘I’m just not happy here, there’s nothing you guys can do to make me change my mind and make me stay’,” Cameron told the podcast leading up to Brisbane’s qualifying against Richmond on Saturday night.
“I had some good people around me that helped me through the years at Adelaide and leaving a couple of my best mates was pretty tough but there was more opportunity footy-wise to take my game to another level (elsewhere).
“We finished the grand final, had a few drinks, I didn’t stick around for long because it was a bit depressing. On the Sunday we had a function at Adelaide Oval and went to a few boys’ houses for a beer and a few were asking if I was leaving and I said I don’t know yet.
“I didn’t make my mind up at that time, I was replaying the grand final in my head, it took me a couple of days and made the decision to come up here.
“Me, David Teague and Tate Kaesler were going to play golf … and Tate said ‘Pykey called him and said ‘what are you up to? and he said ‘playing golf with Charlie and Teaguey’ and Teaguey had just left to go to Carlton and I don’t know what happened there.
“It was a bit awkward at the golf, even Teaguey was saying it was a bit awkward because he wanted to say a few things but he couldn’t.
“It was a bit awkward because I called David Teague and told him I was leaving and he had it on loud speaker and Tex Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tommy Lynch in the background and he said ‘sorry they just heard that’ and I was like ‘don’t worry’.
“At Wacky Wednesday Jake Lever said he was leaving so me and him just stuck together and it was a bit awkward with a few older players because they obviously knew I was leaving.”
Cameron said he felt the pressure in Adelaide and sought help, was being trolled on Instagram and believed he could thrive elsewhere.
“That year was pretty tough with expectations and pressure, and I was seeing a lady to help me on field because it was pretty tough at times and I had some niggles throughout the year that was frustrating with my back,” he said.
“You’d get people commenting on my Instagram, abusing you and stuff, and tag you, and you see a lot of stuff in Adelaide because it’s a footy bubble and I couldn’t get those distractions out of my head.
“But more so the opportunity, I was behind some good players at Adelaide and felt like I was a traffic cone at Adelaide and didn’t get opportunities.
“That prelim (preliminary final) was my best opportunity because I was in the right place at the right time but I thought I was fifth fiddle at Adelaide with some good players around me, and no disrespect to them they’ve been good for my development as a footy player but I felt I needed to go somewhere to better myself and take my career forward.”
He arrived at Brisbane in the 2017 trade period for Pick 12 in a move the Crows described as on “compassionate grounds” to be closer to friends and family in Queensland.
He played 11 games in his first season at the Lions before breaking his foot but did not miss a game in 2019.
“I started running in the first couple of weeks of the off-season so it gave me a bit of room to try to get better,” he said.
“Before that, during the year watching the games and trying to develop myself off-field more.
“Going into this year I had goals that I wanted to (achieve), tried to better myself with my 3km time trial which I didn’t, but it was more about coming back and building that chemistry with the forwardline and mids and stuff.
“I didn’t get back to full training until after Christmas but the goals really helped me try to get better and take my game to another level.”
On the eve of the 2019 AFL finals series, Cameron said the feeling now compared to 2017 was very different.
“I think it’s a lot different, different groups and the culture is a lot different, but it’s a final so you’ve got to try to block everything out and focus,” he said.
“It’s more the opportunities in a grand final where you just didn’t stand up, and I guess you want to stand up in those big moments.