A career-best nine goals in his 150th AFL match have secured GWS forward Jeremy Cameron the 2019 Coleman Medal.
The 26-year-old’s haul in the Giants’ 20.7 (127) to 7.13 (55) win over Gold Coast on Saturday night at Metricon Stadium means he ends the regular season with 67 majors.
Having started the match six behind North Melbourne’s Ben Brown after the Kangaroo booted two goals in a five-point win over Melbourne to move to 64, Cameron kicked five in the third quarter alone to become the Giants’ first Coleman Medallist.
Only a remarkable display by Richmond’s Tom Lynch (53) or Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron (52) at the MCG on Sunday can deny Cameron the honour.
Cameron kicked the first goal of the match and added another before the first change but it wasn’t until the third term that overhauling Brown became a possibility.
With his teammates feeding him chance after chance, Cameron kicked three goals in three minutes, missed a couple of set shots, and then booted another from the pocket to draw level with Brown.
He took the lead with a set shot after the third-quarter siren before being mobbed by his teammates.
Two more goals in the final quarter iced the cake as Cameron went past his previous career high of seven majors and ended the match with 9.5.
Cameron’s day out overshadowed a 72-point victory for the Giants which secured them sixth place and a home elimination final against Essendon or the Western Bulldogs.
The Giants kept the Suns scoreless in the opening term, booting five straight to open up a lead they were never going to relinquish.
The Suns pulled to within two kicks after a quick start to the third quarter but, from there, it was all about Cameron as the Giants pulled away to a convincing win.
Daniel Lloyd marked his return from a calf issue with three majors, while Josh Kelly and Ian Hill kicked two each.
The defeat, in Michael Rischitelli’s 243rd and final AFL match, means the last-placed Suns end the season on an 18-game losing run.
Young forward Ben King finished the game with three goals, including the final kick of the match, while Alex Sexton tallied 2.4 for the hosts.
