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Sport Nation
Form of veteran forward a “huge issue” for Brisbane
Andrew Slevison • September 8th, 2025 11:42 am
What do the Brisbane Lions do with Charlie Cameron?
The veteran small forward had just two disposals from 78 per cent game time in his side’s 38-point Qualifying Final loss to Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.
Cameron kicked the opening goal of the game but touched the ball just once more in a listless display which included two tackles and one free kick against.
SEN’s David King wonders if Chris Fagan could make a statement by dropping Cameron for this Saturday night’s crunch Semi Final clash with Gold Coast.
“Can you play Charlie Cameron?,” King asked on SEN’s Fireball.
“Or do you have to find a new role for him?”
Kane Cornes can’t see the 31-year-old being omitted by such a loyal coach in Fagan.
But he did highlight Cameron’s poor body language in his subpar showing.
“Chris Fagan is very loyal to his players,” said Cornes.
“I’ve spoken about this a lot - Charlie Cameron looked like he needed a spell four or five weeks ago. They backed him in and he kicked three (against Freo in Round 23). And you think, ‘Ok, he’s backed him in again’.
“His body language - and Derm (Brereton) was hot on this during the call - non-competitive. Poor body language, he’s a huge issue for them. He had some horrible efforts.
“He (Fagan) won’t drop him.”
In a bid to get the most out of Cameron, who has struggled for much of 2025, King feels Fagan needs to send him to the action rather than keep him isolated close to goal.
“You’ve got to move him. You’ve got to challenge him,” King said further.
“Put him to high half-forward, get him up the field, get him involved. He’s too good a player to not to be touching the ball. He had one kick.
“I want him around the ball more. I want him to start with the mentality of five run-down tackles. That’s all we need you to do, and everything you do offensively after that is a bonus.”
Cameron has kicked 27 goals in 2025 - his lowest return since 2018 when he played just 11 games for 17 majors.
Looking ahead to the do-or-die Q-Clash final against the Suns at the Gabba, King called on Cam Rayner to be the man in the absence of the injured Lachie Neale.
The Lions’ midfield will be impacted by the loss of the two-time Brownlow Medallist, but All-Australian Hugh McCluggage gets the chance to bounce back after being held to a season-low 14 disposals by Cats tagger Oisin Mullin.
King also believes both Will and Levi Ashcroft need to up their defensive game against the Suns if the Lions are to progress to a Preliminary Final.
“They’ve got to put the game in the hands of Cam Rayner,” he added.
“He needs to go into the midfield now without Lachie Neale. Go and be a difference-maker. He was stuck forward for large chunks.
“McCluggage was well-clamped, you can’t win every battle, right. We give him an off one.
“I just think the competition is working out that you can get the Ashcroft boys the other way. They’ve got a challenge on their hands now to show that’s not the case.”
The Lions and Suns meet at the Gabba from 7:35pm AEST on Saturday.
