Jeremy Cameron kicks seven goals as Geelong thrash North Melbourne by 60 points

Jeremy Cameron kicks seven goals as Geelong thrash North Melbourne by 60 points as Kangaroos’ dismal season hits new low

  • Geelong beat North Melbourne 121-61 to climb up to sixth on AFL ladder
  • Jeremy Cameron kicked seven goals for the Cats in dominant win 
  • North Melbourne are bottom of the ladder with one win and five losses 
  • Kangaroos have conceded 74 goals in their past four games 

A ground-record seven goals from Jeremy Cameron have helped Geelong to a thumping 60-point AFL victory over North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena.

The Cats were relentless around the ball, bouncing back from a shock Easter Monday loss to Hawthorn with a 17.19 (121) to 9.7 (61) win on Sunday afternoon.

Cameron picked up three of his majors in a blistering second quarter, including one on the run from a tight angle.

Jeremy Cameron booted seven goals as Geelong thrashed North Melbourne 121-61

The 29-year-old nailed a set shot in the final term to surpass the previous record for most goals in a game at the Hobart venue.

Cameron, who was sidelined for about a third of 2021 with hamstring issues, was backed up in the forward line by Tom Hawkins (four goals)

‘Jeremy has been with us for a year and a half but he’s missed a lot of footy too,’ Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

‘He’s going to have outstanding individual games. What we’re after is that cohesion in that group […] we saw some good signs of that.’

The 29-year-old's seven goals are the most ever scored in a single game at Blundstone Arena

The 29-year-old’s seven goals are the most ever scored in a single game at Blundstone Arena

Teenage debutant Ollie Dempsey, who gave up basketball a few years ago to return to the footy field, had several silky handballs for Geelong in the lead-up to goals.

The 19-year-old, picked up by the club at No.15 in the 2021 rookie draft, capped a first game to remember by snapping a maiden goal early in the third quarter.

‘He was exciting for us. He did some things that we’d seen at VFL level and that’s rarely the case in a debutant game,’ Scott said.

Teenage debutant Ollie Dempsey starred for Geelong in his first AFL game

Teenage debutant Ollie Dempsey starred for Geelong in his first AFL game 

‘It’s such a jump from VFL footy, even when you play in a solid win, it can be a little daunting. But I didn’t think he showed any signs of that.’

Geelong’s midfield thrived in the absence of superstar Patrick Dangerfield, who Scott said was likely to return from a calf problem next round against Fremantle.

The five leading possession winners for the match were from the Cats, with Zach Tuohy (33) topping the count.

Zach Tuohy finished with a game-high 33 disposals for the Cats in their win on Sunday

Zach Tuohy finished with a game-high 33 disposals for the Cats in their win on Sunday

The Cats move to 4-2 for the season, while the Kangaroos have been left languishing at the foot of the ladder with just one win.

They’ve conceded 74 goals in their past four matches.

‘We’ve got to get better competing on a more regular and consistent basis,’ North Melbourne coach David Noble said.

‘We need to pride ourselves on starting games [with energy] and getting into the games when the heat is in the kitchen.’

North Melbourne are bottom of the ladder with five losses in six games

North Melbourne are bottom of the ladder with five losses in six games 

Geelong were the better side from the outset – only errant kicking prevented their 25-8 lead at the end of the first quarter from blowing out further.

The Cats put on four majors to one in the second term before the floodgates opened further in a six-goal third quarter.

The Kangaroos salvaged something in the final term, outscoring the Cats five goals to four, with youngster Paul Curtis slotting a goal in his top-grade debut.