Geelong star Jeremy Cameron endured the AFL grand final with what appeared to be a broken arm, bravely staying on the field before being forced off in the third quarter.
The dual Coleman Medallist came off second best in a brutal collision with teammate Patrick Dangerfield late in the first half, clutching at his right forearm as he left the contest.
Despite the heavy knock, Cameron returned after the main break and even pulled off a stunning chase-down tackle on Brisbane’s Jaspa Fletcher, sparking a Max Holmes goal that briefly put the Cats in front. But the pain soon caught up with him, and he made his way to the bench, visibly grimacing.
Friendly-fire blow mars Geelong’s defeat
Cameron’s arm was later strapped in a sling as he left the MCG with his family after the final siren. Geelong legend Joel Selwood sympathised with the clash, telling Seven: “If there’s one bloke you don’t want to run into, it’s probably Paddy. But he’ll lick his lips.”
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt added on commentary: “The wrist almost gets sandwiched in between himself and Dangerfield coming through steaming the other way.”
The incident capped a tough afternoon for the Cats, who fell 18.14 (122) to 11.9 (75) as Brisbane stormed to back-to-back premierships. For Cameron, the game ended with more questions over his fitness than his form, after playing through obvious discomfort in the biggest match of the season.