GEELONG forward Jeremy Cameron has sent an ominous warning to the competition, saying he's primed for his 'best season' yet.
The big Cat was plagued by three soft-tissue setbacks in his first season in the blue and white hoops, stunting his synergy with teammates and – by Cameron's own admission – his ability to play consistent footy.
But after a pre-season where Cameron has only missed one training session because of COVID health and safety protocols, the former Giant believes he's ready to realise his potential as the player Geelong signed on a mega five-year deal.
BACK IN THE MONEY Who are the AFL's million-dollar men?
"I feel like I'm so far in front it's not funny compared to last year," Cameron said.
"I guess coming to a new club last year there were a lot of things happening, it was a bit of a later start. When you're in the moment you feel like you're in a good space anyway and you want to play your best footy, you want to train as hard as you can.
"But when you compare the two (pre-seasons) they're completely different. It's pretty exciting for me and the club."
A laid-back figure, Cameron says he's made a concerted shift with his training program to focus more on his lower body strength.
And he says the results "speak for themselves".
PLAY AFL FANTASY Pick your team NOW
"It's something I've never thought about and honestly hamstring stuff isn't my favourite thing to do, and hasn't been for the 10 years I've been playing football," Cameron said.
"Normally I roll into pre-season and my hamstrings are fine and I roll into the season and they're fine, and honestly I don't do too much hamstring stuff.
"But for now it's been a really great focus over the past six to eight months – or even a year – and the results speak for themselves.
"I feel really strong in the gym and in my lower body and I think that's really important. I'll be keeping that going for the rest of my career, not just this year."
Cameron booted 39 goals from his 15 appearances for Geelong in 2021, including six against Richmond in round eight and five against Port Adelaide in round 13.
While it was a good return on average at 2.6 goals per game, it was well down on his standout 2019 season, when he booted 76 goals at 3.2 per game to win the Coleman Medal as the Giants surged to the Grand Final.
That memorable campaign is more in line with the 28-year-old's expectations for the coming year.
"I want it personally to be my best season I've ever had," Cameron said.
"I think most players say that coming into a year really fit.
"Last year I definitely didn't play the best football I could. I thought at times I started to get there and then I had another setback, which was the most frustrating part."
Cameron played 171 games for GWS before joining Geelong as a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020 season.
He inked a five-year deal worth around $900,000 per season with the Cats, who, in exchange, gave up Picks 13, 15, 20 and a future fourth-round selection to the Giants.
