Congrats to silky skilled Leon on reaching 250 games. 78 of those at Tigerland. Top effort and well deserved 
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Leon Cameron - 250th
- Thread starter mightytiges
- Start date
One thing that Beck and Danny did get right.
Well done Leon, a pity we couldn't delight more in your skills than the last 4 years.
Well done Leon, a pity we couldn't delight more in your skills than the last 4 years.
250 games on, Cameron craves success
Barry Levinson
afl.com.au
10:19:32 AM Tue 8 July, 2003
Richmond veteran Leon Cameron is desperate to finish his career on a high.
The 33 year-old, who has been a terrific servant for the Tigers and Western Bulldogs over a 14-year career is not ready to hang up the boots just yet, but the aging star knows the end is nigh.
Cameron will play his 250th game of AFL football when Richmond hosts Geelong in a must-win game at Telstra Dome this Saturday, although he admits that the milestone is something that he has more stumbled across, rather than been aiming towards.
“When you get into the groove of footy and you’ve played for five or six years, you think, ‘Geez I’d love to play 200 games’,” he explained to afl.com.au on the eve of his milestone.
“But when you get to after 200, it just rolls along and 250 has sort of crept up on me. The last four years playing-wise has been good, I’ve been out there even though I’ve had some injury problems. 250 is not a typical goal. I don’t set myself to play 250 games. 200 was a big milestone and 250 has probably just rolled along.”
A star wingman in the early part of his career, Cameron developed into a key play-maker off half-back, with his classy skills on either side of the body a feature of his play.
After a stellar 2001 season in the yellow and black, the veteran, by his own admission, had a poor season last year but ignored calls from some to give the game away.
Cameron was determined to make 2003 a better year both from a team perspective and an individual one.
He has played all 14 games this season, but has had to become used to a reduced role in the twilight of his career.
“It’s been okay,” Cameron said of his form this year. “You can always go better, but I’ve had a different role. I play about 80 minutes a game now. When I’m out there it’s been okay, but you can always improve.
“I’d give up 10 or 15 minutes a game if we were winning. If I was only playing 60 or 70 minutes a game and we were winning I’d much prefer that, because you know you’re going to be there come September.”
The Tigers burst out of the blocks this season, winning six of their first eight matches. But six consecutive losses have now left them desperate for a victory just to get their year back on track.
And Cameron knows that the window for achieving the ultimate success is getting smaller and smaller.
“As you get older, you start to think, ‘Oh God, am I going to miss the boat here, am I going to miss finals’, be retired and all of a sudden you’re time is gone. I’d give up anything to have something around my neck come the end of the 15 or 16 years of footy.”
Cameron remains unsure about whether he would like to push on in 2004, but he understands it may not necessarily be his decision.
But one senses that his love of playing football will keep him eager to continue for as long as he physically can.
“I don’t know when I’m going to be at the end,” he admitted. “I could get to the end of the year and think I’ve had enough, I can’t go on, or the club might be looking for new young players and I mightn’t fit in. I could be playing eight more home and away games and a couple of finals, I don’t know.
“I’m enjoying my footy though. Other than losing, I’m enjoying running out there and trying to contribute every week.
“It’s a hard decision to make, because I’ve thought about it during the year and been for playing on and I’ve also thought about it and been against. It’ll come down to how I’m feeling at the end of the year.”
But right now, Cameron’s focus is solely on notching a win over the Cats. Not because it is his 250th game, but because Richmond badly needs a win.
“We need to win to get our finals chances back on track,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough game, but we have to win.
“They’re going to have their confidence back after they played very well against Port. After beating the top side they’re going to be raring to go. There are no easy games. Everyone’s winnable and everyone’s losable. We have to earn the win and hopefully we can on Saturday.”
Barry Levinson
afl.com.au
10:19:32 AM Tue 8 July, 2003
Richmond veteran Leon Cameron is desperate to finish his career on a high.
The 33 year-old, who has been a terrific servant for the Tigers and Western Bulldogs over a 14-year career is not ready to hang up the boots just yet, but the aging star knows the end is nigh.
Cameron will play his 250th game of AFL football when Richmond hosts Geelong in a must-win game at Telstra Dome this Saturday, although he admits that the milestone is something that he has more stumbled across, rather than been aiming towards.
“When you get into the groove of footy and you’ve played for five or six years, you think, ‘Geez I’d love to play 200 games’,” he explained to afl.com.au on the eve of his milestone.
“But when you get to after 200, it just rolls along and 250 has sort of crept up on me. The last four years playing-wise has been good, I’ve been out there even though I’ve had some injury problems. 250 is not a typical goal. I don’t set myself to play 250 games. 200 was a big milestone and 250 has probably just rolled along.”
A star wingman in the early part of his career, Cameron developed into a key play-maker off half-back, with his classy skills on either side of the body a feature of his play.
After a stellar 2001 season in the yellow and black, the veteran, by his own admission, had a poor season last year but ignored calls from some to give the game away.
Cameron was determined to make 2003 a better year both from a team perspective and an individual one.
He has played all 14 games this season, but has had to become used to a reduced role in the twilight of his career.
“It’s been okay,” Cameron said of his form this year. “You can always go better, but I’ve had a different role. I play about 80 minutes a game now. When I’m out there it’s been okay, but you can always improve.
“I’d give up 10 or 15 minutes a game if we were winning. If I was only playing 60 or 70 minutes a game and we were winning I’d much prefer that, because you know you’re going to be there come September.”
The Tigers burst out of the blocks this season, winning six of their first eight matches. But six consecutive losses have now left them desperate for a victory just to get their year back on track.
And Cameron knows that the window for achieving the ultimate success is getting smaller and smaller.
“As you get older, you start to think, ‘Oh God, am I going to miss the boat here, am I going to miss finals’, be retired and all of a sudden you’re time is gone. I’d give up anything to have something around my neck come the end of the 15 or 16 years of footy.”
Cameron remains unsure about whether he would like to push on in 2004, but he understands it may not necessarily be his decision.
But one senses that his love of playing football will keep him eager to continue for as long as he physically can.
“I don’t know when I’m going to be at the end,” he admitted. “I could get to the end of the year and think I’ve had enough, I can’t go on, or the club might be looking for new young players and I mightn’t fit in. I could be playing eight more home and away games and a couple of finals, I don’t know.
“I’m enjoying my footy though. Other than losing, I’m enjoying running out there and trying to contribute every week.
“It’s a hard decision to make, because I’ve thought about it during the year and been for playing on and I’ve also thought about it and been against. It’ll come down to how I’m feeling at the end of the year.”
But right now, Cameron’s focus is solely on notching a win over the Cats. Not because it is his 250th game, but because Richmond badly needs a win.
“We need to win to get our finals chances back on track,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough game, but we have to win.
“They’re going to have their confidence back after they played very well against Port. After beating the top side they’re going to be raring to go. There are no easy games. Everyone’s winnable and everyone’s losable. We have to earn the win and hopefully we can on Saturday.”
Leon has been a great servant, but his time is up.
The amount of mistakes he makes now, makes you wonder if he has lost confidence in his once silky skills.
The amount of mistakes he makes now, makes you wonder if he has lost confidence in his once silky skills.
Your Club (realfooty)
RICHMOND v Geelong,
Saturday, 2.10pm, Telstra Dome
Ahead of his 250th AFL game this week, Richmond veteran Leon Cameron admitted yes-terday that he was unsure whether he would continue playing in 2004. "I could get to the end of the year and think I've had enough, I can't go on, or the club might be looking for new young players and I mightn't fit in," he told afl.com.au. "I'm enjoying my footy though. Other than losing, I'm enjoying running out there and trying to contrib-ute every week."
RICHMOND v Geelong,
Saturday, 2.10pm, Telstra Dome
Ahead of his 250th AFL game this week, Richmond veteran Leon Cameron admitted yes-terday that he was unsure whether he would continue playing in 2004. "I could get to the end of the year and think I've had enough, I can't go on, or the club might be looking for new young players and I mightn't fit in," he told afl.com.au. "I'm enjoying my footy though. Other than losing, I'm enjoying running out there and trying to contrib-ute every week."
