Geelong makes improved offer to GWS for Jeremy Cameron

Geelong has again improved its offer for Jeremy Cameron but the Giants want more. The Cats could try to get him for nothing in the draft, but that would be a very risky play.

Geelong is edging closer to prising big fish Jeremy Cameron out of Greater Western Sydney’s stubborn grip by Thursday’s 7.30pm trade deadline.

The Cats on Wednesday upped their offer for the 2019 Coleman medallist to ensure a deal is done.

They had been offering picks 15 and 20, but on Wednesday improved that to selections 13 and 15 — their earliest pair of first-round picks.

Until today the Giants have played hard ball.

They matched Geelong’s initial offer during the free agency period to force a trade, and then made it clear they wanted three first-round selections for Cameron.

Geelong has three picks in the first round but believes it must keep one of them to bring in young talent.

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In the unlikely event that a trade is not struck on Thursday, Cameron would either have to stay at the Giants or nominate for the national or pre-season draft.

This is a risky proposition for Geelong.

Despite Cameron’s demands for a six-year, $950,000-a-season wage, rival clubs would be compelled to consider drafting him ahead of Geelong.

Two Melbourne clubs on Wednesday indicated they would seriously consider picking the star left-footer.

The clubs would then have to convince Cameron, 27, and his management that they could provide a suitable new home.

Jeremy Cameron remains in limbo heading into the final day of the trade period.

Cameron told the Giants during Grand Final week that he wanted to move to Geelong.

He cited family and lifestyle as the reasons he wanted to leave Sydney.

Geelong list manager Stephen Wells said on Wednesday the Cats were hopeful the deal would happen on the final day of the trade period.

“Discussions are certainly ongoing and I think it’s public that we’ve put a couple of first-round picks on the table,” Wells told Trade Radio.

“Our preference of course would have been to secure him as a free agent, but once GWS decided to match we had to try to compensate them better than what they would have got from the AFL in compensation.

“We’re still working on that deal but we’ve had good discussions with (GWS list boss) Jason McCartney today and that’s ongoing.”

Wells acknowledged the pre-season draft remained an option.

“I know we can facilitate whatever we need to to pick Jeremy in the pre-season draft, but we hope it doesn’t get to that,” Wells said.

Cameron, a keen recreational fisherman from the small town of Dartmoor near the South Australian border, joined the Giants as a 17-year-old in 2011.

He has been the Giants’ leading goalkicker in each of the club’s AFL seasons, kicking 427 goals across 171 games.

A move to Geelong would allow Cameron to be closer to his family.

His grandfather Denis taught the GWS goal ­machine how to shoot rabbits in the bush and fish in the Glenelg River.

When Cameron indicated he wanted a fresh start, Giants chief executive Dave Matthews said the club wanted a decent return.

“The ball is in Geelong’s court to see whether they can satisfy us with a trade,” Matthews said in October.

“(Adam) Treloar and (Dylan) Shiel were worth two first-round draft picks, and they are both very good players. Key forwards are hard to find.”

Cameron’s manager, Alex McDonald, said last month the two-time All Australian and his partner Indie had been weighing up a decision to move back to Victoria for some time.

“He went up there (Sydney) as a 17-year-old, he’s been up there for 10 years, and the opportunity for him to come back and be back closer to family and friends in Victoria — you don’t know whether that chance will present itself again any time soon,” McDonald told SEN in October.

“He was humbled. He obviously had plenty of interest … but this one lined up beautifully with the family and the off-field lifestyle.”

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Originally published as Geelong makes improved offer to GWS for Jeremy Cameron