Geelong coach Chris Scott says Jeremy Cameron could become the first AFL star since 2008 to boot 100 goals in a season – but he DOESN’T want his forward to reach the milestone
Chris Scott has no doubt Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron could kick 100 goals this season, but says the Cats would be poorer for it as a team.
Cameron has booted 27 majors through the opening six rounds, including 16 in the last three weeks.
The hot streak has raised hopes AFL fans could see the first century goal-kicker since Lance Franklin topped the ton with Hawthorn in 2008.
‘I wouldn’t put anything past him,’ Scott said when quizzed on Thursday about Cameron’s chances.
‘But I think the more relevant question that I’m asking myself and what our coaching group talk about is what that would do to our team performance.
‘One of the main reasons that you don’t see key forwards kicking 100 goals now is that teams have come to the conclusion that if you are reliant on one player and that goes wrong, you’ll get beaten.’
A boyhood Hawthorn supporter before winning two flags as a Brisbane player, Scott said even his hero Jason Dunstall wouldn’t manage 100 goals a season in the modern game.
The two-time Cats premiership coach said defensive systems had become too strong to allow it.
Dunstall, who retired 25 years ago, topped the century six times and sits third in AFL/VFL history with 1254 goals to his name.
‘Jason Dunstall was my favourite player – no one likes him more than I do – but he wouldn’t kick 100 today,’ Scott said.
‘The opposition just wouldn’t let you do it.
‘So could Jeremy do it? I think he could, but I think our team would be poorer for it.’
Cameron has been instrumental to Geelong’s resurgence after their poor start to the season, firing in thumpings of Hawthorn, West Coast and Sydney that have squared the ledger at 3-3.
The reigning premiers’ form turnaround has set up a tantalising meeting with fourth-placed Essendon (4-2) at the MCG on Sunday in the annual ‘Country Game’.
‘We did need to change some things and we needed to execute better but we also didn’t need to reinvent the things that we knew would work in time,’ Scott said.
‘Some of them were based on personnel coming back.
‘That tends to be the art of coaching – you’ve got to work out what needs to change and where we need to intervene now, and what could we make worse if we tried to change everything.’
