Paul Gough
afl.com.au
3:05:56 PM Tue 4 February, 2003
Richmond veteran Leon Cameron has hinted that 2003 may well be his AFL swansong and he is determined to go out on top.
Cameron, who began his career with the Western Bulldogs way back in 1990, was one of several Richmond players to perform well below expectations last year as the Tigers slumped from 3rd in 2001 to 14th in 2002.
After finishing third in the club's best and fairest in 2001 - 30-year-old Cameron battled knee and calf problems last year and his form suffered so much that there was widespread speculation he would retire.
Even his normal magnificent kicking off both sides of the body deserted him, and Cameron knows he has much to prove in 2003 when he saddles up for his 14th AFL season.
"I definitely feel I've got plenty to prove this year," Cameron told afl.com.au on the first day of the Tigers' training camp in the Victorian country town of Traralgon.
"I want to go out personally on a good note if it is my last year this year."
However the word around the Tigers' training camp is that Cameron has been one of the most impressive players on the track throughout the pre-season as he puts his injury problems of last year behind him.
"I'm travelling along okay but a lot better than this time last year," the veteran defender said.
"I had a lot of knee problems last year and didn't start running for a while but this year I have had a full pre-season so hopefully I can put it into fruition on game day."
Cameron admitted throughout 2002 he thought his AFL days may have been over as his form struggled and the Tigers - to put it in Cameron's own words "dropped off the face of the earth."
"The way I was going I thought it was (my last year in 2002)," he said.
"But I built myself up to have a good pre-season and I have so far and I thought - bugger it, I want to finish on a good note."
"So I will get to the end of the year and make a decision on whether I finish footy and I want to go out on a good note, and hopefully the Tigers will have gone out on the best note possible and gone all the way."
And no-one would deserve a fairytale finish to their career more than Cameron, who not only has been a model of consistency and professionalism throughout his long career but has the unlucky distinction of having played in four losing preliminary finals (three with the Bulldogs and one with Richmond) without making it to a grand final.
afl.com.au
3:05:56 PM Tue 4 February, 2003
Richmond veteran Leon Cameron has hinted that 2003 may well be his AFL swansong and he is determined to go out on top.
Cameron, who began his career with the Western Bulldogs way back in 1990, was one of several Richmond players to perform well below expectations last year as the Tigers slumped from 3rd in 2001 to 14th in 2002.
After finishing third in the club's best and fairest in 2001 - 30-year-old Cameron battled knee and calf problems last year and his form suffered so much that there was widespread speculation he would retire.
Even his normal magnificent kicking off both sides of the body deserted him, and Cameron knows he has much to prove in 2003 when he saddles up for his 14th AFL season.
"I definitely feel I've got plenty to prove this year," Cameron told afl.com.au on the first day of the Tigers' training camp in the Victorian country town of Traralgon.
"I want to go out personally on a good note if it is my last year this year."
However the word around the Tigers' training camp is that Cameron has been one of the most impressive players on the track throughout the pre-season as he puts his injury problems of last year behind him.
"I'm travelling along okay but a lot better than this time last year," the veteran defender said.
"I had a lot of knee problems last year and didn't start running for a while but this year I have had a full pre-season so hopefully I can put it into fruition on game day."
Cameron admitted throughout 2002 he thought his AFL days may have been over as his form struggled and the Tigers - to put it in Cameron's own words "dropped off the face of the earth."
"The way I was going I thought it was (my last year in 2002)," he said.
"But I built myself up to have a good pre-season and I have so far and I thought - bugger it, I want to finish on a good note."
"So I will get to the end of the year and make a decision on whether I finish footy and I want to go out on a good note, and hopefully the Tigers will have gone out on the best note possible and gone all the way."
And no-one would deserve a fairytale finish to their career more than Cameron, who not only has been a model of consistency and professionalism throughout his long career but has the unlucky distinction of having played in four losing preliminary finals (three with the Bulldogs and one with Richmond) without making it to a grand final.