GEELONG star Jeremy Cameron has left hospital after being cleared of serious internal injury following a huge collision in the Cats' victory over Essendon.

The ace forward kicked two goals in the first quarter of Saturday's 66-point smashing of the Bombers at the MCG before pulling up sore after a contest with Essendon defender Jayden Laverde.

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Cameron was taken to hospital on a stretcher during the final quarter but was able to return home after being assessed.

He suffered a hip pointer injury but was cleared of any serious rib or lung damage after struggling to breathe following the collision.

00:36 Mins
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Star Cat subbed off after nasty collision

Jeremy Cameron is worse for wear after this incident with Jayden Laverde in a marking contest late in the first quarter

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"I just had to go through the necessary things to tick off, make sure there was no internal bleeding," Cameron said.

"Overall, feeling great and I'll be here (at home) all day."

It was a frustrating start for Cameron in his second season at Geelong after his 2021 campaign was frequently interrupted by hamstring issues.

Cameron wasn't the only Geelong player to suffer an injury during the win, with young tall Sam De Koning to enter the AFL's 12-day concussion protocols.

The Cats face a monster game against the Sydney at the SCG on Friday night with Swans superstar Lance Franklin just four goals away from reaching the 1000th major of his career.

08:26 Mins
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Worries for Cats after key forward taken to hospital

Watch Geelong's press conference after round one's match against Essendon

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It was a dirty day for the Bombers, with ruckman Sam Draper facing a nervous wait to learn if he is cited by the match review officer after appearing to strike Geelong big man Esava Ratugolea.

"That wasn't an indication of what we've been doing throughout pre-season and how we've been training," Bombers coach Ben Rutten said of his team's performance.

07:40 Mins
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'I probably didn't see it coming': Rutten at a loss after Cats thumping

Watch Essendon's press conference after round one's match against Geelong

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"It was a long way off anywhere near our best footy and it was kind of across the board and I probably didn't see it coming."

Rutten praised the effort of first-gamer Nic Martin, who starred with five goals and 27 touches.

"He was fantastic. He's still got a lot of improvement in him, but his strengths of being able to finish and his running ability was fantastic. It was a shining light for us throughout the day," he said.

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