Emotional Jeremy Cameron breaks silence on move from GWS to Geelong

An honest Jeremy Cameron has spoken about the emotional toll a high-priced game of tug-of-war has taken after inking a deal with Geelong.

This was a tough call for Jeremy Cameron.

An emotional Jeremy Cameron has spoken about his move to Geelong after the Cats and GWS agreed to terms just before the AFL trade deadline expired on Thursday night.

Cameron nominated Geelong as his destination of choice for 2021 but in a free agency first, the Giants matched their rival’s monster offer, reported to be worth approximately $5.7 million over six years.

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Cameron is a foundation player at GWS and has been the club’s leading goalkicker every season so understandably, the Giants were playing hard ball with their marquee man.

They eventually agreed to let him go when they were offered Geelong’s three first-round draft picks in return and even though Cameron’s wish was granted, it wasn’t an easy process splitting with the club he loves so much.

“It was very emotional. I remember calling (GWS coach) Leon (Cameron) and saying, ‘Do you mind coming around to sit on the couch, we need to have a chat’,” Cameron said on Friday. “It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

“I remember in my third season Leon took me in and said, ‘I can see the potential in you, you’re going to be a good B-plus or A-grade player but do you want to be an A-plus player? I can turn you into that’. It’s a conversation I’ve never forgotten.

“To have him sit in my loungeroom and hear that I’m leaving was obviously very tough and it’s still obviously a bit emotional now.”

It will be strange not seeing Cameron in orange.

Cameron said he was “very 50-50 for a number of weeks” about what decision he would make on his future, calling it the “hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life”.

“I haven’t had much sleep in the last two months to be honest. It definitely has been a tense period for myself and (partner) Indiana,” Cameron said.

“I’ve been so stressed out lately and I don’t really like it because I am a relaxed bloke, it’s been quite full-on.

“Very happy but at the same time there’s a bit of sadness as well. I have nothing bad to say about the Giants and its been an incredible 10 years with them.

“There were so many nights when I was went to sleep thinking I want to make the move and then I’d wake up and I wanted to be a Giant, that’s how intense it was for me.”

Originally published as Emotional Jeremy Cameron breaks silence on move from GWS to Geelong