Geelong coach Chris Scott has reflected fondly on the "one in a million" heist to snare Jeremy Cameron, saying few players can excite fans like the key forward.
Cameron will notch his 250-game AFL milestone when he lines up in Saturday's clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
The 31-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career at GWS, kicking 427 goals across 171 games to establish himself as one of the best forwards in the competition.
Cameron made a career-defining move to the Cats at the end of 2020 on a five-year deal worth close to $4.5m.
The deal was an expensive one for Geelong, who handed across three first-round picks in exchange for Cameron and two second-rounders.
But it was definitely worth every cent for Geelong, with Cameron kicking 65 goals in 2022 to help the Cats land premiership success.
"He's been so important for us," Scott said.
"There's been a few times over the past decade or so when players have come in, but few have had the impact on our excitement levels the way Jeremy has.
"And if we go way back, I remember when he started at GWS, one of our seasoned veterans ... played on Jeremy that day, and he came off and said, 'I don't know if you know about this guy, but (you have to do) anything you can do to get him to the Cats.
"And we were like, 'Yeah, I think everyone knows about him, I don't think there's any chance of that happening'.
"So when it did happen, everyone was justifiably excited.
"Those things go to show, you should never rule out the one in a million possibility."
Cameron has kicked 202 goals across 78 games for Geelong, and he's glad he made the move across.
"When I made the decision, it was tough at that stage," Cameron said.
"But I made the decision knowing I want to win a grand final, it wasn't just to relocate closer to home.
"I was coming here wanting to win a grand final, and several if you can."
Cameron is about to lose his partner in crime, with Tom Hawkins to retire at the end of the season.
Hawkins has kicked 796 goals across 359 games during his glittering career, and the 36-year-old is aiming to return from a foot injury in time to feature in Geelong's finals campaign.
Geelong (13-7) sit fifth on the ladder, and they finish their season with games against Fremantle, St Kilda and West Coast.
A win over the Dockers would give Geelong an excellent chance of landing a top-four berth.
Geelong defender/ruckman Sam De Koning (knee) will miss the trip to Perth, but he's expected to be fit to tackle St Kilda next week.
Mitch Duncan and Gary Rohan are on track to return against the Dockers.
Fremantle will be boosted by the return of Nat Fyfe from suspension.
