Ling as a 16-year-old was big and burly when compared to his fellow teenagers. He played at centre half-forward and while he marked and led, as was expected of a key forward, mostly he churned up and down the pitch, driving the Australians into attack.
He had a real presence. By the last quarter, the Irish were in awe of him. The sight of the "big red lad" running and running led them to cheers.
After the match, a bunch of boys surrounded Ling as he was making his way into the dressing room. "How do you do it, red?" they asked. "How do you play like that?"
Ling looked at the excited boys and wondered what to say. Then a light came on. His eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face.
"Spuds," he said. Then he trotted into the rooms.
Ling always had a sense of humour coupled with a comfortable charm and a strong work ethic. A Facebook page dedicated to him hits on these themes.
"When I saw Lingy rubbing his nose I thought, 'He's in great pain. Something has happened to his nose'. Sure, if it was anyone else it would have just looked like they were scratching an itch but with Cameron Ling's great capacity for pain I figured for him to be rubbing his nose, something really painful must have happened to it."
On the same site a Cats fan thanks Ling for what he describes as "letting us give you a lift to the pub today". The incident happened this past Sunday, the day after the Grand Final. By the tone of the post, Ling was offered a lift and took it.
The two boys in the back seat were in awe of the fact that the premiership captain of Geelong was in the front seat. Ling was always a man of the people.
A local boy from St Joseph's, he was taken by Geelong at No.38 in the 1999 national draft. In those days he was a full-forward. But he never did cut it as a glamorous spearhead.
Ling gave everything to make himself a better footballer. He was known for his research into the rival he was about to play on. On the field he stuck to that opponent, limpet-like. He stood up in tackles. He whacked the ball quickly on to his boot. He was a diligent midfielder, the perfect foil to his more talented teammates.
And yet he could surprise. Despite having the pace of a draught horse, he was often spotted running through the centre 10 metres into the clear with the ball in his hand. He was smart enough to run off his opponent and move into a creative position.
In this vein he could often sneak a goal. In 2007, he kicked 28 of them, which is a reasonable tally for a specialist forward let along a tagger. In the same year he was named in the All Australian team. No one begrudged him his place.
A part of his charm was that he was not cut from the usual cloth of footballers. Rather than being tanned and buffed, he was pale and he had red hair. Despite appearances, he liked to go surfing.
He knew everyone in Geelong and along the coast. In walking across the street, tradesmen would lean out the window and call, "Hey Lingy." He always gave them a wave.
Ling had the resilience and spirit that we love to see in our heroes. He gave his heart and soul and he gained a lot in return. He won one club best and fairest - in 2004 - and he played in three premierships team.
In his final game, in Saturday's Grand Final victory over Collingwood, he kicked the final goal of the match. He had to retire after that. There could be no better way to see out a career.
Now that he's finished Ling can spend more time at the pubs and restaurants he owns in Geelong. He can eat as many spuds as he wants.
