Clay Cameron will join the Gold Coast Suns next season via the club's Queensland zone selection. Picture: Jono Searle Source: The Courier-Mail
TWO years ago, Clay Cameron's AFL dream was on the ropes.
Struck down by the footballer's curse commonly known as osteitis pubis, Cameron went from being a carefree teenager destined for the AFL to spending the entire 2010 season on the couch.
"I only played one game that year and I think I was out for nine or 10 months," Cameron recalled.
"It was very frustrating and I had a lot of doubts.``I thought it was just a bit of soreness like you get after most games and I hadn't had a major injury before.
"It was definitely a bit of an eye-opener and I just had to do nothing and rest."
Luckily for Cameron, his desire to make it as a footballer never waivered.
"I knew I was coming back next year and I was just focusing on giving it my best crack then," he said.
In fact, ever since he gave away the likely prospect of a successful athletics career at 14, Cameron only wanted one thing.
"I was the national (discuss) champion a couple of years in a row, but it was just too repetitive and I didn't enjoy it that much," Cameron said.
"When it got to a high level my heart wasn't in it, so I gave up when I was 14 and decided to focus on footy."
Yesterday, the Suns rewarded Cameron for his passion and patience by announcing the versatile tall as their priority Queensland zone selection.
Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft said the 18-year-old's versatility meant he got the nod ahead of Broadbeach midfielder Andrew Boston and Mornsingside's Jordon Bourke as the club's first zone selection in 2012.
"He is a big size - 192cm and mid-80kgs - and we think, for a player that is 18 years of age, he still has a lot of room for growth and development," Ashcroft said.
"He is really versatile and he can play forward, back and also in the midfield."
When asked his preferred position, Cameron said: "I just like beating my opponent and you can do that in defence or the forward line.
"It doesn't bother me where I play and I just prefer to be on field."
And he could get the chance to make his debut for the Suns as soon as next year's NAB Cup.
"We would like to think he is a chance to play NAB Cup and if he plays well there, who knows," Aschroft said.
Aschroft gave little away about Gold Coast's plans for the last two weeks of the trade period, but said the Suns had not ruled out targeting another senior player after signing experienced Hawthorn defender Tom Murphy late last week.
The former Brisbane Lions champion ruled out chasing power forward Kurt Tippett again, even if a deal can't be struck with Sydney.
"We have moved on," he said.
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