GWS hope forward can finish the year strongly after injury-plagued season
GREATER Western Sydney is hopeful star spearhead Jeremy Cameron can finish off the season with a clean bill of health as he tries to recapture last year's All Australian form.
One season after kicking an extraordinary 62 goals to earn All Australian selection as a 20-year-old, Cameron has stumbled through a far more difficult third season at the top level.
An ankle injury in the NAB Challenge affected his pre-season and he was naturally quiet to start the year before suffering a perforated eardrum that prevented him from flying.
Suspension and another ankle problem kept him out of more games and he made a low-key return against the Sydney Swans on Saturday night.
Lacking his usual explosiveness early on, Cameron did improve as the game played out, but still finished with just seven touches and two second-half goals.
Another player hoping for a good back half of the season is young GWS midfielder Toby Greene, who made his comeback from a five-week club-imposed suspension for the reserves on Saturday.
Matched up with Swans youngster Tom Mitchell for large parts of the game, Greene finished with 40 touches and a goal.
Suspended for breaking team rules regarding alcohol and still to face a raft of assault allegations later in the year, Greene has at least been doing all he can to win back the trust of the club.
With the young GWS side showing some signs of wear and tear, changes could be made to face Adelaide next weekend, and it seems Greene could be firmly in the mix.
"It's a terrific effort to come back after five weeks," the GWS coach said.
"Our NEAFL side has been playing some really, really good footy.
"It's funny when you sit back five weeks ago and your club gets accused of players not developing.
"We sit equal top with Sydney in the NEAFL. I'd be concerned if that wasn't the case.
"We had a really good game against them today, Toby was good, Jono O'Rourke was really good, Lachie Plowman, there's a number of players putting pressure on our senior side.
"We feel our club is moving along leaps and bounds in the right direction."