Cameron O’Shea responds to AFL delisting by claiming best and fairest award at VFL club Northern Blues

Cameron O’Shea is Northern Blues’ best and fairest winner, finishing ahead of skipper Tom Wilson and Luke Russell.

Cameron O'Shea claimed Northern Blues’ best and fairest with a record tally of 146 votes. Picture:Andy Brownbill

AT THE end of 2016, Cameron O’Shea sat down with his manager to make a decision about whether he was ready to give up his AFL career.

Having been delisted by Port Adelaide after 81 games, the defender weighed up moving back to country footy.

Cameron O'Shea had an outstanding season. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Thankfully for the Northern Blues, and himself, the 25-year-old decided to hold on to his dream and play in the VFL and after winning the club’s best and fairest with a record tally, it appears he made the right call.

“I spoke with my manager and thought with my age bracket I’d be coming into my prime if I was on an AFL list, so it was worth having a go and putting everything back into it,” O’Shea said.

His determination was rewarded on the field, compiling a dominant season that resulted in him being named at centre half-back in the VFL team of the year.

No player in the VFL took more marks than O’Shea in 2017, who also led the Blues in disposals and effective kicks as he broke the club record set by Kane Lambert in 2013 with 146 votes.

Skipper Tom Wilson came second, with Luke Russell placing third before announcing he will return back to his home state in Tasmania in 2018.

Amazingly, Liam Jones polled 66 out of a possible 75 votes before his call up to Carlton’s AFL side after Round 6.

O’Shea polled in every game except Round 1 — in which he sat out the second half with concussion, with his professionalism impressing Blues coach Josh Fraser.

“Given his credentials coming off an AFL list, you are hopeful you will get the level of output from the player and it can be a difficult time for him but he was really mature and measured about it,” Fraser said.

O’Shea also took out the Players Player Award, as voted by the playing list, an honour he said was “right up there with the best and fairest”.

O’Shea now faces a nervous wait to see whether his stellar year will earn him a second chance at the elite level.

“It’s a bit early at the moment, I will sit down with my manager and discuss it, obviously I’d like to get back on a list but we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.