Sunday 10 August 2014 wasn’t exactly the best day in Brisbane Lions history. It was as bad as it gets. But it introduced local fans to a young player who 10 years on is a huge club favourite looking forward to a monster game at the Gabba on Sunday at the end of a very big week.

Charlie Cameron was introduced to Lions fans on that day, playing his fifth AFL game for the Adelaide Crows and his first at the Gabba as the Crows scored a 105-point win.

It is still the Lions’ biggest loss at the Gabba, but at least the legacy lives on.

Cameron at the time was largely unknown to Brisbane football people despite being born in Mt.Isa and, after doing his primary schooling on Mornington Island, finishing his education in Brisbane.

He’d played baseball, rugby union and rugby league at a high level, and a handful of Australian football games at Marist College Ashgrove, where he was a boarder. He spent six months in the Lions Academy but after graduating in 2011 moved with his family to Newman in Western Australia, 1200km north of Perth.

He’d dropped off the Queensland football radar as he was recruited by WAFL club Swan Districts from the north and drafted by the Adelaide Crows as a rookie in November 2013.

The young tearaway had played six games in the SANFL early in 2013 before playing Rounds 9-10-11-12 in the AFL. He had 35 possessions and 15 tackles and kicked five goals – three against Fremantle in Round 12.

A groin injury sidelined him for the next five weeks, but after two SANFL games he was recalled by third-year coach Brenton Sanderson for his Gabba debut. He joined a 22-year-old Jarryd Lyons and Tom Lynch of St.Kilda and Adelaide fame in replacing James Podsiadly (rested), Scott Thompson (injured) and Rory Laird (dropped).

Also in the visiting side were 24-year-old pair Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker and a 22-year-old Brodie Smith as Queenslander Jono Freeman debuted for Brisbane under Justin Leppitsch alongside Dayne Zorko in his 57^th game and an 18-year-old Darcy Gardiner in game #14.

It was a slaughter. Walker kicked six goals as the Crows won 25-18 (168) to 9-9 (63) despite 40 possessions from Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, as Cameron, then wearing jumper #42, had 13 possessions, two tackles and kicked 1-3.

It was an immediate Cameron farewell to second-tier football. He finished the year in the top side and hasn’t looked back, playing 22-20-24 games in the next three years, including the 2017 grand final, before requesting a trade to Brisbane. And after his first Lions season ended with a Round 11 knee injury he’s played 133 games without a miss.

He’s played in the last 12 games between the clubs – five for five wins and eight goals for Adelaide, and seven for a 5-1-1 record for Brisbane to go with 20 goals.

The dual All-Australian and four-time Lions leading goal-kicker has had countless special moments in a wonderful career, but even he will remember this week as being extra special.

Having signed a three-year contract extension which will keep him in Lions colors until the end of 2028, and celebrated his 30^th birthday today (Friday), he’ll be keen to celebrate as the eighth-placed Lions, with an 8-1-6 record, face the 14^th-placed Crows (5-1-9) in a danger game.

Brisbane are 5-1-3 against Adelaide under Chris Fagan, but their last three meetings produced a draw at Adelaide Oval in Round 9 this year, a six-point Brisbane win at the Gabba and a 17-point Adelaide win at AO in 2023.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

Common Players

Mark Mickan was the first player to play for both clubs and holds a special place in the shared history – he was the first Brisbane captain and the first Adelaide club champion. Equally special is Matthew Clarke, a 130-game Merrett/Murray Medallist in Brisbane and, after 118 games for Adelaide, is a two-time AFLW premiership coach with the Crows.

Chris Schmidt, Ben Keays and Mitch Hinge are common players who started at Brisbane, while Michael Murphy, Martin McKinnon, Ben Hudson, now the Lions’ VFL coach, Charlie Cameron, Jarryd Lyons, Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Jack Gunston played first with Adelaide. Waiting to join this group next year is the injured Tom Doedee.

Brownlow Medal Votes

Michael Voss has polled most Brownlow votes for Brisbane against Adelaide, polling six times in 22 eligible games (plus two finals) for 14 votes, with three three’s. This included a three-voter for a career-best seven goals at Football Park in 2004. Simon Black (11) and Jason Akermanis (10) were also standouts from the golden era, with Lachie Neale closing fast. He has 10 votes, including three best-on-grounds in six  games for the Lions against the Crows. But the player with most votes overall in games between the two clubs is Adelaide’s Scott Thompson (16). Rory Laird (7) has most of the current players.

Leading Goal-Kickers

Brisbane’s leading goal-kicker against Adelaide is Alastair Lynch – by a long way. He kicked 61 in 14 games including two bags each of 4-5-6-7, sharing the club record of seven with Michael Voss, who is next best overall with 28. Next best are Craig McRae (24), Jason Akermanis (21) and Charlie Cameron (20).  The individual record for most goals in a Lions v Crows game is Scott Hodges’ eight in the second meeting in 1992. And that was after the long-time Port Adelaide (SANFL) star turned Crows spearhead kicked seven when first the sides met in ’91.

Leading Possession-Winners

The record for most possessions in a Lions v Crows game is 40 to the credit of four players – Brisbane’s Luke Power, Tom Rockliff and Dayne Beams, and Adelaide’s Matt Crouch. Simon Black had most 30-possession games with six from Adelaide’s Rory Laird (5).

Most Games

Simon Black has played most games for Brisbane against Adelaide at 23, followed by Nigel Lappin and Michael Voss (22) and Marcus Ashcroft (21). Black also has most wins (14) and most possessions (574).

Head-to-Head

The overall record between the clubs in 48 meetings favors Adelaide 25-22, with a draw at Adelaide Oval earlier this year. It was 7-2 to Adelaide during the Bears era and is 20-1-18 to Brisbane post-merger. The Lions have won both finals between the clubs – the 2002 qualifying final by 71 points, and the 2003 semi-final by 42 points. Both were at the Gabba, with Alastair Lynch kicking seven and six.

Brisbane’s highest score and biggest win against Adelaide came in Round 17 2004 at the Gabba when they led the visitors 8-11 to 4-6 at halftime and added an astonishing 21-4 to 2-6 in the second half to win 29-15 (189) to 6-12 (48).

Leading the way up forward were Alastair Lynch (6 goals), Jason Akermanis (4), Nigel Lappin (3), Michael Voss (3) and Blake Caracella (3) as Michael Rischitelli had an AFL debut to remember and Mal Michael played his 150^th.

It remains the club’s biggest win and their second-highest score all-time behind their 1993 monster at the Gabba against Sydney of 33-21 (219). It’s also still Adelaide’s biggest ever loss.

Remember When?

One of the most memorable games between the clubs despite it ending in a six-goal loss was the first game post-merger of the Brisbane Lions. On Sunday afternoon 30 March at Football Park John Northey, in his second season in Brisbane, took the ‘new’ side in against an Adelaide side coached for the first time by Malcolm Blight.

Adelaide, who had finished 12^th in ’96, led 6-1 to 5-2 at quarter-time and took control when they added 6-2 to 2-5 in the second term. They won 20-12 (132) to 14-12 (96), with Tony Modra (7 goals) and Barry Standfield (5 goals) doing most damage up forward as the Brownlow votes went to the home trio of Brett James (33 possessions), Mark Riccuito (36 possessions) and Darren Jarman (26 possessions).

Marcus Ashcroft (29 possessions, two goals) and Michael Voss (23 possessions, three goals) were best for Brisbane as a 21-year-old Clark Keating was opposed in the ruck to 22-year-old brother Aaron in his AFL debut. Debuting for the Crows with Keating Snr was now Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin.

Michael Voss, having won the Brownlow Medal in ’96, and Alastair Lynch led Brisbane after coach Northey, recognising the pressure on the 21-year midfield ace, chose to share the load after the retirement of long-time Bears captain Roger Merrett. Sadly, it was the first and last game post-merger for dual club champion Michael McLean, who was injured early.

The Brisbane side on this historic occasion, in notional positions, was:-

B: Chris Johnson, Richard Champin, Danny Dickfos
HB: Michael McLean, Justin Leppitsch, Matthew Kennedy
C: Andy Gowers, Adrian Fletcher, Nigel Lappin
HF: Darryl White, Jarrod Molloy, Scott McIvor
F: Matthew Clarke, Alastair Lynch, Shaun Hart
R: Clark Keating, Michael Voss, Marcus Ashcroft
INT: Dion Scott, Tristan Lynch, Ben Robbins.

Other special Brisbane highlights against Adelaide include:-

• Robert Copeland debuted at the Gabba in Round 16 1997 on his 21^st He started with a 31-point loss but things improved thereafter … he won his next 16 games, which culminated in the Lions’ 2001 premiership.
• Michael Voss became just the fourth person in AFL history to captain his club 200 times In Round 11 2006. Later to finish on 2010, Voss followed Carlton’s Stephen Kernahan (226), Essendon’s Dick Reynolds (224) and Western Bulldogs’ Ted Whitten (212), and was later joined in this elite group by St.Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt (221), Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury (206) and Geelong’s all-time AFL leader Joel Selwood (245).
• Leigh Matthews coached Brisbane for the 200^th time in Round 7 2007. The 332-game Hawthorn champion and 224-game Collingwood coach was the first and still only person in League history to play or coach 200 games at three clubs. He finished with 237 games at the Brisbane helm and one of only two people to coach 200 games at two clubs. The other is Mick Malthouse.