‘Had nights where I had to just call it’: Jeremy Cameron hilariously opens up on post-flag celebrations

Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron has detailed some of the most memorable, emotional and hilarious moments from his club’s post-premiership celebrations last year.

Cameron booted two goals from 18 disposals as the Cats thumped by 81 points to win the 2022 AFL premiership.

Outside of Joel Selwood’s brilliant fourth-quarter goal, Cameron’s celebration after his second major – which came just a couple of minutes after his skipper’s effort – was one of the most iconic moments of the match.

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After nailing his set-shot, Cameron pretended to crack open then drink a can of beer.

Speaking to former Giants teammate Tom Sheridan on the Tommy Talks podcast, Cameron explained what led to that celebration.

“You know when you crack open a nice cold stubby and if the sunlight is just right on the top of the can, you can see a little bit of residue come off? You could see it almost in that, couldn’t you?” Cameron said on the Tommy Talks podcast. “I don’t know what it was.

Jeremy Cameron celebrates that goal. Picture: Darrian TraynorSource: Getty Images

“The slo-mo (replay) was unreal. I didn’t obviously know that there was a slo-mo until we watched it back at Mad Monday. Joel put the game on Mad Monday, which was just a bit of a laugh but a nice way to watch it too. This is before everyone got a bit messy.

“But I’d never practiced it. Otherwise, mate, can you imagine if (partner) Indi walks into the bedroom and I’m just in front of the mirror practicing. I don’t need practice, I crack enough of them as it is.

“At this stage, I was renovating my man cave out in the shed, so just a beautiful nice bit of timber where you can have a few Northerns or Carlton Draughts or whatever you want over the bar with a few mates looking out into the paddock. That was what I was working on, so I just sort of had that in the back of my mind.

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“I think it was a few moments before I was like, ‘if I kick a goal here, I’m going to just go with it’ – because it’s celebration time and Issy (Smith) is on my shoulders.”

After the siren sounded and he’d celebrated with his teammates, Cameron said he took a moment to take in the enormity of the moment and his club’s feat.

While Cameron was seen as the life of the party in the post-flag celebrations, he opened up on a touching moment out on the ground where Poppy Griffen – the daughter of ex-Giants teammate Ryan Griffen, whose wife Jasmine is Indi’s sister – ran to give him a cuddle.

“I found myself when it calmed down, because they were bringing the stand out to do the medal presentation, that I was daydreaming a bit … just staring at the ground,” he said.

A special moment for Jeremy Cameron out on the field. Picture: Darrian TraynorSource: Getty Images

“People were like ‘well done’ – and I was like: ‘What’s happening?’ I’m taking it all in, like we’ve actually done it. But I’m thinking in my own mind. People are probably looking back and if there’s footage I’m just like staring at grass. It just looks stupid.

“Then Indy and the families come out, so I saw Indy and Poppy come out and that was awesome, because she (Poppy) loves going to the footy to watch me play and comes to heaps of games. ‘Grif’ was retired before she knew what (footy) was, so she sort of watches me and through watching me knows that’s what Dad used to do.

“Having Poppy out there brought a tear to the eye because she just ran from 50m away and jumped into the arms. That was a nice moment.”

Cameron then went into further detail of the Cats’ celebrations, claiming he “felt like the furthest thing from an athlete” a month after the win.

Jeremy Cameron arriving for Mad Monday. Picture: Morgan HancockSource: Getty Images

“The celebrations just roll on, you know, like you’ve got to celebrate it,” he said.

“I remember getting to Bali a week later and just going: ‘I need to get out of here … I need to get off this Australian turf to go somewhere to get away from this.’

“I had nights where I had to just call it … you can’t just go for a week straight without sleeping. I had to have a few nights off, but even then, like you’re celebrating.

“We had the B&F Thursday and that was a big night and then the Friday, might as well go to the pub. What else have we got to do? The season’s over.”

Asked if he paid for a beer in the week after the premiership win, Cameron said: “Not in Geelong, I don’t think so. Big Billy Brownless and a few of the ex-Geelong boys own pubs around, so they know what happens down in Geelong when you win a flag. You’ve got to not run out of beer, so that’s rule No. 1 and they had plenty of kegs.

Jeremy Cameron of the Cats on stage at Yarra Park after winning the 2022 AFL Grand Final. Picture: Morgan HancockSource: Getty Images

“Awesome times, mate. Awesome times. I’ll tell you what, a month after the Grand Final, I felt like the furthest thing from an athlete.

“I guess the first steps on the road to 2023 were horrible. The knee blew up and bloody limping down the road 300m in, skinfolds are over 120, all you can think about are just beer fumes and just food … that many Macca’s burgers and hash browns. ‘What are we having for breakfast?’ ‘Hash browns and that’s it, egg and bacons’ – it’s a proper month of just (celebrating).

“Then there comes a time and it’s like overnight the fingers just click and you’re like ‘we have to do it again here’. It’s just a horrible feeling when that comes. Still haven’t looked the dietitian in the eyes.”