If Monday’s NAB Challenge match was anything to go by, Clay Cameron has all the makings of a long-term key defender.
The 19-year-old Queenslander was a solid contributor in the Gold Coast SUNS’ heart-stopping one-point victory over Essendon, picking up 15 disposals, three marks and compiling three rebound 50s off half-back.
It was a welcomed first taste to senior football for the former AIS-AFL Academy graduate, after a prolonged hip complaint restricting him last year.
But the extra 18 months of conditioning and development appears to have greatly benefited the former Mt. Gravatt junior, playing very much in his comfort zone against the Bombers on Monday night.
If the match was a glimpse into the future, then there is a good reason to be excited about Cameron’s chances of making the jump to first grade according to defensive coach Dean Solomon.
“Our NAB Challenge match against Essendon was definitely a good starting point for Clay,” he told goldcoastfc.com.au.
“He showed a healthy appetite for the contest, which is certainly going to hold him in really good stead heading into the regular season.”
Through the Gold Coast SUNS NEAFL development program, Cameron has worked on improving the offensive and defensive sides of his game.
But no amount of pre-season training, match simulation-or off field development can adequately prepare players for the rigours of AFL football, something Cameron can now attest to.
“It was quick, much quicker than I could ever have imagined,” Cameron told SUNS TV.
“It’s a completely different kind of fitness, but it was great to get a taste of senior football.”
Thankfully for Cameron, the hard-nosed defender is in line to win another NAB Challenge birth, when the Gold Coast goes head to head against the Brisbane Lions in Townsville this Sunday.
The local product still has plenty of scope for improvement, but Solomon is excited by his rapid progress.
“He has come on in leaps and bounds, and while he still has plenty to learn, Monday was definitely a good start for him.”
