New Cat Jeremy Cameron takes over the famous No. 5 at Geelong

He was the biggest recruit of the off-season and the Cats have wasted no time giving Jeremy Cameron top billing – handing him a famous number.

Star forward Jeremy Cameron is preparing for the most scrutinised year of his life at Geelong, starting with having the weight of the club’s most famous number on his back.

Cameron has agreed to wear No. 5 — a jumper made famous by legendary Cats Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer and Gary Ablett Sr.

It was vacated by Nakia Cockatoo over the off-season and previously worn by Travis Varcoe in two premierships, with Gary Malarkey another fan favourite to wear the jumper.

Cameron said he was briefed on the history of the number by former GWS Giants teammate and Geelong great Steve Johnson over a dinner in recent weeks.

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Jeremy Cameron at Cats training today. Picture: Alison Wynd

“Having the No 5, I know there is a lot of history in this club in that jumper so to be given the opportunity to wear it if I want to is a big thing and I look forward to running out there and doing my best in the No 5,” he said.

“(Johnson) went through the history of pretty much every jumper over a few beers at dinner and it was good to have that chat.

“It’s a great number to be running out there in but I know there is a lot of hard work between now and then and I am looking forward to that more than anything to be honest.”

The Geelong recruit acknowledged he would be put through the ringer in 2021 as he experiences his first year inside the AFL storm that is Victoria but has declared he wants to have the best season of his career.

He said he expected more intense scrutiny than in any of his nine years with the GWS Giants as he settles in down south in a side many expect will be among the premiership favourites.

Cameron set career-high number virtually across the board when he booted 76 goals in 2019 and won the Coleman Medal.

Gary Ablett Sr continued the No 5 tradition.

A tradition that ran through Graham "Polly" Farmer.

The keen outdoorsman didn’t cope with the rigid confines of hubs last season and said he was setting his goals high next year.

“I want to have the best season I have ever had, I don’t want to set low goals,” he said.

“I want to set a really high standard and train really hard over the summer. I have started that about six weeks ago and I feel like I am moving well.

“I don’t think it necessarily means more goals, it means playing my role really consistently each week.”

The hard work was on display on Monday morning as Cameron joined in for his first training session at the club alongside the younger members of the Cats list and wise heads Joel Selwood and Tom Stewart.

Originally published as New Cat Jeremy Cameron takes over the famous No. 5 at Geelong