AFL Daily: Geelong keen on GWS forward Jeremy Cameron
One Victorian club is eyeing Greater Western Sydney superstar Jeremy Cameron as part of it's key forward succession plan but it may not be the only one bidding for his signature. RECAP TODAY'S FOOTY NEWS
Jay Clark
2 min read
May 3, 2019 - 7:42AM
The Sydney Swans are confident John Longmire is the man to lead the club’s rebuild. Picture: Getty Images
Geelong is eyeing Greater Western Sydney superstar Jeremy Cameron as part of the club’s long-term succession plan for veteran spearhead Tom Hawkins.
Cameron, 26, looms as the No. 1 key forward target for the Cats as they look to replenish their ageing key position stocks including 30-year-old Hawkins in coming years.
Cameron, from Dartmoor a small country town in western Victoria, has produced dazzling form in the first six rounds and is red-hot favourite to win the Coleman Medal.
The 196cm full forward would be an ideal replacement option for Hawkins next year when Cameron will emerge as the league’s most in-demand free agent.
Importantly, GWS want to sign Cameron this year to cut-off attempts from rivals to poach him for nothing next season.
The Giants last year held preliminary talks with Cameron’s manager, Alex McDonald, and will ramp up talks on another extension over the next few months.
But GWS is certain to face another salary cap squeeze as the Giants try and fit in monster deals for re-signed onball jet Josh Kelly, free agent Stephen Coniglio, silky playmaker Lachie Whitfield and Cameron.
They could all command about $1 million a year, taking up as much as 20-25 per cent of the Giants’ $12.76 million salary cap.
Jeremy Cameron would make an ideal replacement for Geelong's Tom Hawkins.
The Cats will be proactive as they look to find replacements for versatile tall Henderson, who is out of contract this season,as well as veterans Harry Taylor and Hawkins (both out 2020).
Geelong could back-end a deal for Cameron and offer him a package similar to the one which landed Patrick Dangerfield at the end of 2016.
Geelong coach Chris Scott last week said the club “have a (recruiting) bias towards players from the region”.
“We have a pretty strong history of tending to favour players from the area, particularly the country boys,” Scott said.
“In many cases, those guys feel a bit more comfortable down at Geelong, (because) it’s got more of a regional feel than anyother club in the competition.”
Under free agency rules, players can join new clubs without costing anything in a trade after eight seasons.
If Cameron decides to put off talks and return home to Victoria, the Cats are certain to face stiff competition for Cameron’s signature, including Hawthorn.
The Hawks are looking for a replacement for premiership great Jarryd Roughead and have been linked to fellow Giants’ bigman Jon Patton.
Geelong will be prepared for another request from star midfielder Tim Kelly to return home to Western Australia at the end of the season.
West Coast and Fremantle are both keen on the gun ballwinner.
RECAP ALL OF THE DAY’S AFL NEWS IN THE BLOG BELOW
Updates
Bevo keeps the faith in forwards
Chris Vernuccio
Luke Beveridge has continued to show faith in his underperforming attack, but the Western Bulldogs coach concedes pressure is mounting, with a much-improved display against Richmond required.
The Dogs have failed to score more than nine goals in any of their past four matches, with a similar display unlikely to be enough to claim the premiership points at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
The Bulldogs, who are second in the competition for inside 50s, are clearly generating enough scoring opportunities.
But fans looking for a bold statement at the selection table after four straight losses were left disappointed when Beveridge stuck with the same 22 defeated by Fremantle.
“We haven’t been using the ball well enough for long enough, but there was enough good in that performance to provide some encouragement for this week,” Beveridge said.
“We don’t harp on statistics but the KPIs around opportunity paint a good picture for us, but we don’t capitalise on them.
“And that’s our endeavour – to make sure we do.
“We believe we’ve got a pretty good system that creates enough chances and defends pretty well as a group, but if you’re not taking them and hitting the scoreboard then it comes back to bite you.
“That’s what’s happening a little bit.
“I think some of the lads in the AFL team are definitely feeling some pressure to play well.”
– AAP
Nic Nat a step closer to return
Chris Vernuccio
West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui has resumed match simulation training in another positive sign that his return to AFL ranks is well on track.
Naitanui hasn’t played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in round 17 last year.
Although Naitanui missed about 19 months of action when he ruptured the ACL in his left knee in 2016, his recovery from his latest knee reconstruction has been far smoother.
Naitanui is aiming to return before the club’s Round 13 bye.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson revealed Naitanui took part in the club’s match simulation session on Thursday, and that there weren’t any restrictions put in place.
“He’s back. His pre-season is underway. Now we’ve just got to get him match fit,” Simpson said.
“It (his recovery) is going well. We haven’t had a setback yet.
“The previous knee for Nic was difficult and we had some setbacks along the way.
“The experience tells us is it doesn’t always run as smoothly as what it has.
“Every level that he advances to there’s obviously some concerns about how he’s going to handle it.
“But he hasn’t seemed to be too concerned each level he’s ticked off. So we’ll just keep going until the doc says he’s available.We’re not rushing him back.” While Naitanui’s progress is good news, Simpson was quick to point out that it was merely a “sideshow” right now, with the main focus on the team’s on-field struggles.
Two poor losses on the trot have seen West Coast (3-3) drop to 12th on the ladder ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Gold Coast at Perth Stadium.
Collingwood has landed young Boomer Tom Wilson, who quit basketball to play in the AFL.
Last month Wilson was granted an immediate release from his Sydney Kings NBL contract to focus on Australian rules football despite making his Australian senior debut in February.
The 21-year-old will start work with Collingwood next Monday on a three-year Category B rookie contract, with the Magpies having beaten Geelong and Gold Coast for his signature.
Category B contracts fall outside the salary cap, with Adelaide’s Hugh Greenwood (basketball), Collingwood’s Mason Cox (basketball) and Geelong’s Mark Blicavs (athletics) using the pathway to senior lists.
“I’m excited to join the Collingwood football club and have the opportunity to pursue a career in another sport,” Wilson said on Friday.
“I’ve been so fortunate with my experience playing basketball, but I’m really happy to return to Melbourne and join the club I supported growing up.
“Switching back to football will be an adjustment and I know I’ve got a lot work ahead of me, but I’m keen to get into training and work with the team at Collingwood.”
The former under-17 and under-19 national basketball skipper played junior football with Vic Metro at the 2013 AFL Under-16 championships and was recruited by the Sandringham Dragons.
Some AFL scouts rated the 194cm Victorian as a top-30 draft prospect before he gave the sport away to focus on basketball.
Wilson spent time playing hoops in the United States and Serbia before returning to Australia as a guard with the Sydney Kings. – AAP
Magpies sign young basketball star
Chris Vernuccio
Collingwood has landed young Boomer Tom Wilson, who quit basketball to play in the AFL.
Last month Wilson was granted an immediate release from his Sydney Kings NBL contract to focus on Australian rules football despite making his Australian senior debut in February.
The 21-year-old will start work with Collingwood next Monday on a three-year Category B rookie contract, with the Magpies having beaten Geelong and Gold Coast for his signature.
Category B contracts fall outside the salary cap, with Adelaide’s Hugh Greenwood (basketball), Collingwood’s Mason Cox (basketball) and Geelong’s Mark Blicavs (athletics) using the pathway to senior lists.
“I’m excited to join the Collingwood football club and have the opportunity to pursue a career in another sport,” Wilson said on Friday.
“I’ve been so fortunate with my experience playing basketball, but I’m really happy to return to Melbourne and join the club I supported growing up.
“Switching back to football will be an adjustment and I know I’ve got a lot work ahead of me, but I’m keen to get into training and work with the team at Collingwood.”
The former under-17 and under-19 national basketball skipper played junior football with Vic Metro at the 2013 AFL Under-16 championships and was recruited by the Sandringham Dragons.
Some AFL scouts rated the 194cm Victorian as a top-30 draft prospect before he gave the sport away to focus on basketball.
Wilson spent time playing hoops in the United States and Serbia before returning to Australia as a guard with the Sydney Kings. – AAP
Saints unsure if Steven will return
Chris Vernuccio
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson is unsure when, or even if, Jack Steven will return to the playing field after the midfielder’s latest break to tackle a mental health issue.
Steven, 29, has taken indefinite leave for the second time this year after playing in four of St Kilda’s first six games,with Richardson unable to provide a time-frame for his return.
“I really can’t tell you, this is one of those unknowns,” Richardson told reporters at Melbourne Airport on Friday.
“We’re hopeful that he will come back and play, and he really wants to come back and play, but primarily we’ve got to make sure that we get him right and we don’t know how long that will take.
“We can’t really put a timeline on things, it will be when he’s right to come back and play.
“We’ll just support him now.”
The club first announced Steven would take time away from the game on February 26.
Despite missing two weeks of pre-season preparation, the four-time best-and- fairest winner played in the first two rounds before missing two games then returning to feature in Rounds 5 and 6.
Steven was reported to be sore but Richardson conceded his absence for games against Fremantle and Hawthorn was down to his mental health management.
On medical advice, it was initially felt that the structure of playing football would help Steven get on top of the issue.
But Richardson said that his condition had slowly deteriorated to the point both parties agreed another stint away was required.
“All the way through Jack has struggled to present himself in a manner both to train and then to play,” the coach said.
“He’s an exceptional footballer so he’s been able to perform at a reasonable level, in fact he was quite impressive last weekend,but just the whole commitment to footy and to be at the footy club all the time was a bit much for him.
“We thought, and his experts thought, that playing footy would be the right thing to do so that was the avenue we down but now clearly having a break, and it may be an extended break, is the right way to go.”
– AAP
Sydney Kings basketballer Tom Wilson has signed with Collingwood as a Category B rookie.
Wilson was a member of Australia's under-17 and under-19 teams and has been playing with the Kings in the NBL.
But the 21-year-old is having another crack at footy after playing for Vic Metro in the 2013 under-18 national championships.
Wanted to wait for this to come out before anything was said, can’t thank the Sydney kings enough for how they dealt with my situation. A tough position for them to be in but handled with class throughout and genuinely wanted the best for me. Looking forward to the next chapter! https://t.co/FYGhof6dn7
“I’ve been so fortunate with my experience playing basketball, but I’m really happy to return to Melbourne and join the club I supported growing up," Wilson told the Magpies website.
“Switching back to football will be an adjustment and I know I’ve got a lot work ahead of me, but I’m keen to get into training and work with the team at Collingwood.”
Magpies list manager Ned Guy said Collingwood had been keeping a close eye on Wilson.
“We believe a lot of the traits that have made Tom a successful basketballer are transferable to football. Having already played the sport, we look forward to getting him into training and seeing what he can do," Guy said.
“We’re thrilled to have Tom at Collingwood, and look forward to watching him develop over the coming years.”
Magpies sign former Boomer
Al Paton
Sydney Kings basketballer Tom Wilson has signed with Collingwood as a Category B rookie.
Wilson was a member of Australia's under-17 and under-19 teams and has been playing with the Kings in the NBL.
But the 21-year-old is having another crack at footy after playing for Vic Metro in the 2013 under-18 national championships.
Wanted to wait for this to come out before anything was said, can’t thank the Sydney kings enough for how they dealt with my situation. A tough position for them to be in but handled with class throughout and genuinely wanted the best for me. Looking forward to the next chapter! https://t.co/FYGhof6dn7
“I’ve been so fortunate with my experience playing basketball, but I’m really happy to return to Melbourne and join the club I supported growing up," Wilson told the Magpies website.
“Switching back to football will be an adjustment and I know I’ve got a lot work ahead of me, but I’m keen to get into training and work with the team at Collingwood.”
Magpies list manager Ned Guy said Collingwood had been keeping a close eye on Wilson.
“We believe a lot of the traits that have made Tom a successful basketballer are transferable to football. Having already played the sport, we look forward to getting him into training and seeing what he can do," Guy said.
“We’re thrilled to have Tom at Collingwood, and look forward to watching him develop over the coming years.”
Eagle Rioli signs extension
Chris Vernuccio
West Coast forward Willie Rioli has re-signed for a further two years, tying him to the club until the end of 2022. Rioli was already contracted for next season and said he jumped at the chance to sign a contract extension. The 23-year-old is nursing a stress fracture in his foot, but could be back playing within the next three weeks. Rioli booted 28 goals in 24 games last season, playing an important role in the club’s premiership success. “He is in many ways the all-round package as a forward who can also play through the midfield,” West Coast football operations manager Craig Vozzo said.
“He has a great blend of skill and aggression at the contest. He helps us both offensively and defensively. “Following the retirement of Mark LeCras, his standing in the forward line alongside Jamie Cripps is really important, both from a leadership and performance point of view.”
Rioli famously lost 16kg after joining SANFL club Glenelg in 2015 a bid to achieve his AFL dream. West Coast swooped with pick No.52 in the 2016 national draft.
Rioli failed to play an AFL game in 2017 because of hamstring issues, but he dazzled in his debut season last year, quickly becoming a crowd favourite.
– AAP
Demons make late change
Al Paton
Tim Smith is out of Melbourne's team to face Hawthorn tomorrow with a leg injury.
Declan Keilty comes into the 22 and will play his first AFL game. Harrison Petty has been added to the emergencies.
An aggressive defender, Keilty was recruited in the 2017 rookie draft.
Zaharakis: Why I quit Twitter
Al Paton
Essendon midfielder David Zaharkis has revealed he quit Twitter to avoid the toxic abuse on the social media platform.
Zaharakis copped a barrage of abuse following Essendon’s 72-point loss to GWS in Round 1 and decided enough was enough.
“I was sick of the social media ride you go on with Twitter and how anyone can say anything, so I quit it … post Round 1. I was just sick of it,” he said on The Footy Show.
“You go on there and you just cop things from anyone because anyone can say anything."
Port Adelaide planning to confirm its succession plan from Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr before round 1 is odd timing. This could and should have been done by now, as MATT TURNER writes.
