Premier Cricket 2018-19: Essendon paceman Louis Cameron leading a cricketer’s double life

Louis Cameron has been living the ultimate cricketer’s double life. The Essendon paceman works as a journalist, spending the summer juggling Premier Cricket commitments with reporting.

Essendon's Louis Cameron takes a wicket during the Vic Super Slam. Picture: Arj Giese.

Louis Cameron has been living the ultimate cricketer’s double life.

The Essendon paceman works as a journalist for cricket.com.au, spending the summer juggling Premier Cricket commitments with reporting.

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It is a demanding lifestyle which requires flexibility Cameron is fortunate to have from both his employer and club.

“I have had a really good balance this year,” he said.

“I think the first thing is Mitch (Johnstone), the coach, has been fantastic.

“The first season where I had the job I came back from the UK, and I was in the twos, and it just wasn’t really a good fit.”

Louis Cameron on Victorian debut with captain Cameron White. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Trying to squeeze cricket in around his reporting duties often results in an early alarm and trip to the airport.

On day one of Essendon’s Round 13 win against Northcote, Cameron finished work at the Gabba at 1am, woke to a 4.30am alarm and was on a 6am flight from Brisbane to Melbourne.

“I got off the plane at 9.30am and I thought I’d probably be late,” he said.

“Thankfully rain meant we didn’t start until one o’clock or something like that.

“It’s a tough balance, but having really good people has helped.”

Marcus Harris was at puppy school with his French bulldog Archie when he got told he was in the Test team pic.twitter.com/LvuCVR4yRv

— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) November 22, 2018

Cameron was earmarked as one of Victoria’s top fast-bowling prospects at a young age.

The now 26-year-old made his first class debut in 2012, snaring 3-61 against New South Wales, including the scalp of future Test batsman Nic Maddinson.

Louis Cameron celebrates the wicket of Nic Maddinson on his Victorian debut. Picture: Gregg Porteous

But he would only feature again once for the state as players such as John Hastings, James Pattinson, Clint McKay and Jayde Herrick formed the nucleus of Victoria’s pace battery.

“I had a couple of OK years, just didn’t really progress and just wasn’t good enough,” Cameron said.

“I think a lot of people come out of the Victorian system and they have a hardluck story or whatever. I don’t have any of that.

“Guys were just better than me and I wasn’t able to keep up with Ryan Sidebottom, Jake Reed and those kind of guys.

“I didn’t really know what I was going to do after that finished up.

“I got an internship with Cricket Australia through the ACA. I could write a bit and I knew cricket, obviously. I just learned on the job.”

Cameron learned the ropes as an intern with cricket.com.au in early 2016 and by September that year was a member of the website’s full-time staff.

Louis Cameron bends his back for Essendon. Picture: Hamish Blair

His job has taken him to most BBL grounds, New Zealand, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates, offering the type of insights usually only afforded to cricketers on tour.

Cameron said his playing experience had given him a unique perspective when reporting.

“I don’t know if this is just the way I am wired, but I am probably more tactically-minded than most journos,” he said.

“You just see things differently because when I was in the state system or even playing Premier Cricket, you always look through a tactical lens. Especially a fast-bowling lens.

“The challenge is trying to explain it.”

One of the first experiences Cameron had on the job was attending a press conference featuring Pattinson as he prepared to return from injury at the MCG.

When Pattinson spotted his former Victorian teammate in the media throng, he was taken aback.

“I’d been playing with him in Futures League maybe 12 months before that,” Cameron said.

“I would’ve gone bright red because I was unsure of my place there.

“I was like, ‘just working at cricket.com.au’ and he kind of had this funny look. But normally they get it.”

Louis Cameron is mobbed by Victorian teammates, many of whom he now reports on. Picture: Gregg Porteous.

Cameron’s background as a first-class cricketer meant he was offered the rare opportunity to bowl to the Australian side on a tour of the UAE, an experience most can only dream of.

“I got to bowl to them a couple of times during that series,” he said.

“It was good because when I came back, the season was maybe three or four rounds in, so I was in better shape to jump back into it.”

This field (Meredith bowling to Bravo) shows how detailed individual planning is in T20s now. Three boundary fielders behind point on off-side likely set up for Bravo’s inside-out style and Meredith’s extra pace #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/pTDgPj1D0c

— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) January 14, 2019

Maintaining bowling rhythm remains the great challenge for Cameron, who has managed 16 games for Essendon this summer, taking 23 wickets.

“I haven’t bowled particularly well to start with, but once I get going I am fine,” he said.

Bombers coach Mitch Johnstone said Cameron’s maturity had enabled him to successfully juggle both pursuits.

“(Work has) got to take precedent over cricket. He’s afforded a bit of flexibility in that sense,” Johnstone said.

“The caveat is that he does the work outside training too which he is usually pretty diligent with.

“We’ve had that system in place for the last 18 months and for the most part, that has been a good way of going about it.”

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