CHARLIE Cameron is heading to a place he belongs on Saturday night – a final at the Gabba – but the road to get there in 2024 has been vastly different to the one of years past.
Cameron has been a lightning rod for Brisbane's success since he headed north from Adelaide at the end of 2017, integral in taking it to six straight finals appearances with his electric play inside 50 and an infectious nature that endears him to teammates and supporters alike.
Just less than 12 months ago Cameron looked like being a Grand Final hero, beating Brayden Maynard and Isaac Quaynor to a loose ball and putting the Lions in front with five minutes remaining.
But alas for him and his team, Collingwood fought back to snatch the premiership in one of the most memorable deciders this century.
Since that moment, it's been anything but smooth-sailing for Cameron as he's overcome a spate of off-season surgeries, an unlikely crisis of confidence around goals and a new-look forward line that has unearthed his inner leader.
The rollercoaster really began halfway through 2023 when a head clash with Richmond's three-time premiership skipper Trent Cotchin knocked out Cameron's front teeth.
One aspect of the lively small forward's career that is often overlooked is his resilience.
Not only did he return to the Gabba that night and kick two goals in a huge win, he played the next week, the week after and the remainder of the season with false teeth in place of the missing ones.
Remarkably, when Cameron runs out against Carlton on Saturday night it will be his 142nd consecutive match, taking him in the top 20 for all-time player streaks in VFL/AFL history.
Fixing the teeth long-term was an ordeal though.
He required six surgeries between the end of last season and the beginning of this one.
Unlike the previous five years, which have been relatively uninterrupted for Cameron during pre-season, this was different, regularly missing sessions for surgery and then handled a little more cautiously on return.
"I've got six new teeth thanks to Cotchin," Cameron laughed as he sat down to discuss 2024 in the café adjoining Brisbane's training base at Brighton Homes Arena.
"He's working here at the moment (in a leadership advisory role) and I remind him every day about it.
"This pre-season … it was an obstacle, but you adapt and overcome it.
"You miss a few sessions here and there, but I thought I had a decent pre-season still.
"It was a good lesson for myself because the last few years I haven't had those challenges and obstacles."
In Brisbane's first pre-season hitout against Gold Coast, Cameron had four goals shortly after quarter-time, using his nous more than anything to teach unproven Bodhi Uwland a few valuable lessons.
By the time Opening Round against Carlton rolled around, Cameron thought he was in a good spot, but it was then that another unexpected obstacle would jump up.
The Mornington Island-raised product has not been automatic around goal over his career, but as close as you could expect from someone that takes shots from all sorts of angles and under all sorts of pressure.
Cameron had topped 50 goals in four of his previous five seasons. He kicked 57 in 2019, 55 in 2021, 54 in 2022 and 59 last year.
The only glitch in that streak was his 31 goals in the COVID-impacted 2020 season. If you extrapolate that output to a regular season length with regular game durations, he would have been right around 50 again.
In every season at Brisbane, Cameron's accuracy for all shots at goal – including ones that miss everything – has always been over 50 per cent.
Which brings us back to the Blues at the Gabba.
With the Lions leading by 45 points midway through the second quarter, Cameron took a mark 20m from goal, just off centre, and on the good side for his right foot snap.
It's a shot he could likely do with his eyes closed, but on this occasion, he curled it a little too much. Behind.
That 46-point lead would evaporate, and Carlton would famously win.
It would start a string of unusual misses for Cameron over the early stages of the year. Simple set shots were going astray, left foot snaps from straight in front were sailing wide, there was indecision in how to set up for kicks at goal.
It was an unusual sight after being so prolific and efficient for so long.
"The Carlton game, I had that shot from right in front and I missed, and it knocked the confidence a little bit," he said.
"Then when I was in front of goal (next time) I was thinking about missing and not thinking about the process.
"When you're getting opportunities and missing ones you'd normally kick, your confidence does get knocked, but you've got to try and block it out.
"You do a lot of work out here on the training ground and it's not showing up in games, which is frustrating.
"Murray (forward line coach Murray Davis) told me to think like a goldfish. If you make a mistake, just move on and forget about it.
"At the start of the season I was in my own head."
To help overcome his struggles, Cameron came up with a cue, a simple word he wrote on his wrist prior to each game.
Smile.
"I'm playing a game I love and enjoy, so I might as well smile and have fun out there and engage with everyone and bring energy.
"It's a small thing, but it's helped me."
Although not at his All-Australian level of last year (he also earned a jacket in 2019), Cameron has steadily improved in the second half of the season.
Although his finishing statistics are below his usual high standards, the 46.8 per cent conversion rate has been on the rise since the mid-season bye.
Crucial goals from difficult angles late in matches against Sydney and Collingwood have shown his flare for the key moment is still there, while the renowned forward pressure has also risen a cog.
The new element of Cameron's game he's had to develop though is his leadership.
With Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner both suffering season-ending knee injuries in round eight, Zac Bailey missing five weeks with an ankle problem and Eric Hipwood also missing the odd game, Brisbane's forward line took on a new look.
Kai Lohmann has become a regular, as has Logan Morris.
Suddenly, the guidance from 30-year-old Cameron became more important.
"I had Eddie Betts in my first couple of years, he helped me out a lot. He's one of the best small forward of all time, so to learn off him was key.
"With Kai, I'm just trying to set him up, let him play on instinct and help him out when he needs it.
"He's a confidence player like myself. He's an exciting young player. He has his moments where he does a bit too much, but we all say to him, if you make a mistake, move on and we'll move on during the week.
"Kai's had some big moments this year. He's played his role and he's an exciting young player."
Lohmann (27 goals) and Morris (18 goals) have more than pulled their weight in a team that has been the fifth highest scoring of the season.
The dental surgeries, wayward radar, questions of confidence and extra leadership has been a different path for Cameron, but it's led to the same place – back to the finals.
His record in the competition's biggest matches is one of the greatest ever among small forwards.
Whether it's Adam Saad or Nic Newman that lines up alongside him on Saturday night, they'll know they're manning one of the most dangerous players inside 50 in the modern game.
Cameron's 40 goals from 19 finals appearances is only bettered by Tom Hawkins (56) in terms of goals among current players. It's more than Jack Gunston, Jeremy Cameron, Dustin Martin and Toby Greene – and at a better goals-a-game average than the latter trio.
"It's all about the moments in games and taking those opportunities," Cameron said.
"As a small forward you don't get opportunities too often. Finals is exactly like that, taking your moment when it comes around.
"The real season starts now. We're excited and we're looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it.
"We had a taste last year with the Grand Final … you do want to get back there and feel that excitement.
"I've played in two Grand Finals. You want that opportunity again. The opportunity is there, it's just a matter of taking it."
