JEREMY Cameron has opened up on "the hardest decision of his life" to leave Greater Western Sydney and join Geelong.
Cameron officially moved to the Cats in the dying stages of Thursday night's frantic finish to the Trade Period.
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Geelong eventually handed over three first-round picks and a fourth-rounder in return for Cameron and two 2021 second-round selections after the Giants created history by matching the Cats' massive free agency offer.
The 27-year-old explained how telling former coach Leon Cameron he wanted to leave was the hardest thing he has ever had to do.
"It was very emotional. I remember calling Leon and saying 'Do you mind coming around to sit on the couch, we need to have a chat'," Cameron said on Friday.
"It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.
"I remember in my third season Leon took me in and said 'I can see the potential in you, you're going to be a good B-plus or A-grade player but do you want to be an A-plus player, I can turn you into that.' It's a conversation I've never forgotten.
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"To have him sit in my loungeroom and hear that I'm leaving was obviously very tough and it’s still obviously a bit emotional now."
Things didn't get easier for Cameron after that conversation, with the stress of the Trade Period taking its toll on the normally relaxed forward.
"I haven't had much sleep in the last two months to be honest. It definitely has been a tense period for myself and Indiana," he said.
"I’ve been so stressed out lately and I don't really like it because I am a relaxed bloke, it’s been quite full-on.
"Very happy but at the same time there's a bit of sadness as well. I have nothing bad to say about the Giants and it's been an incredible 10 years with them."
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Cameron, the 2019 Coleman medallist, struggled to recapture his best form in 2020 with hub life and the uncertainty of his future having a big effect on his output.
"I'm first to put my hand up and say I’m extremely disappointed with the season that I had," he said.
"The hub hurt me in a lot of ways - it was tough to be locked down, I really hated sitting in a hotel. I got myself in that headspace where I really battled. I probably should’ve spoken to the club about it earlier."
