AFL 2025: North Melbourne forward Nick Larkey won't play again in 2025
But as Larkey's season ended, the Kangaroos confirmed Geordie Payne and Cooper Trembath would make their AFL debuts against the Saints.
The brilliant goalkicker has had several PCL troubles this year and was in a brace as his side trained on Friday.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said Larkey's latest setback had shifted his focus towards next season.
'That's why I was so disappointed post game with the attention he got in that marking contest,' he said.
'He'll miss the rest of the season unfortunately. PCLs are difficult injuries to manage but when you crunch your knee into the ground like he did in that marking contest, there was only going to be damage.
'We've just got to look after that now, put him in a brace which you would've seen him in today and get himself right for next year.'
Clarkson defended Larkey post-game on Sunday, suggesting he was not protected enough in the marking contest.
'You get hit in the middle of the back like that, we're meant to be there to protect the ballplayer, aren't we? Struth,' Clarkson said.
But on Friday, a much more measured Clarkson retracted his comment, saying the emotion and care for his star forward got the better of him.
'I reflected afterwards, I was just so disappointed for him and disappointed for us knowing full well as soon as he hobbled I knew what had happened,' he said.
'I was sort of disappointed in myself a little bit … that I didn't let him know that leading at flat-out pace with defenders chasing was going to put him at the most risk.
'We deal with these sorts of things all the time in terms of players who have to combat injury or put themselves at risk or not in games.
'I don't think he necessarily had to run flat out, full on, someone else could've ran into that space.
'Afterwards, you just feel so much emotion that your captain of the day and one of your leading players … it just got the better of me in the post-match.'
The Kangaroos will unveil Payne, the top selection in the 2024 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft who has kicked 10 goals in his past two games in the VFL, including six against Sandringham last weekend.
Trembath, 19, was picked up from the club's VFL program with the 10th overall selection in this year's Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
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Daily Telegraph
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AFL news Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron late to his own party in Cats win over Essendon
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. All attention was on one man in Geelong on Friday night, but Jeremy Cameron was late to the party, in more ways than one. The Cats were too strong for the young Bombers, recording a comfortable 15.19 (109) to 10.5 (65) win, with Cameron missing some chances and finishing with 4.5 to move to 79 goals for the season. The Cats superstar came into the clash on 75 goals for the season, miles clear in the Coleman Medal race and with speculation rife he could kick the magical ton this season. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Cameron himself admitted pre-match there was 'too much focus' on the 100-goal chase, but it clearly wasn't phasing the man from tiny Dartmoor in southwest Victoria. The 32-year-old sheepishly admitted before the opening bounce he was 30 minutes late getting to the ground as he tended to his farm, which is around 20 minutes outside Geelong. He then kept the Fox Footy crew waiting for an interview while he took a few more warm-up shots on goal and the commentators tried desperately to fill the time. Jordan Lewis tries to get Jeremy Cameron's attention as he takes another shot. Photo: Fox Sports Garry Lyon and Jordan Lewis both tried to get Cameron's attention before he finally sauntered over. 'I'll see if I can grab his attention,' Lyon said. 'No, he's having another shot.' When he did arrive, they couldn't resist some gentle ribbing. 'Jezza we've been padding for five minutes,' Lyon said. Lewis then chimed in with: 'Mate the game's about to start.' Once the interview did get underway, the former GWS star was naturally asked about the pursuit of the ton. 'Too much focus I reckon,' he said. 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'I think he doesn't want to think about it too much, but it's there, front of mind, make no mistake,' Dunstall said. 'When you're a goalkicker you know exactly how many you have, you know what you're chasing and he's not far away.' Boundary rider Cam Mooney then stunned everyone by picking a big key forward to kick a bag of goals … only it wasn't Cameron. Shannon Neale (right) stole the spotlight from Cameron in the first quarter. (Photo by) 'I think that man right there is going to be the man tonight,' Mooney said as the camera panned to another big Geelong forward, Shannon Neale. 'He might kick the bag. It's not going to be Jeremy Cameron, I'm sorry guys, it's going to be this man, Shannon Neale. 'Everyone's going to be too interested in stopping Jezza.' Mooney proved he's somewhat of a Nostradamus as Neale duly kicked the first three goals of the game over the opening 12 minutes. 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Cameron was able to flex his muscles in front of goal in the final term, kicking two goals in a four-minute period to move to 79. He had another chance in the dying minutes. 'You felt like he had to get to 80 tonight to be a legit chance,' Whateley added. 'Not just a 'let's talk it up chance'.' But he pushed the shot across goal, with Dunstall saying glumly: 'Come on Jez.' The Cameron watch will now move to Sydney for the Cats' match against the Swans next week. Originally published as Sheepish superstar Jeremy Cameron late to his own party
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
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Sheepish superstar Jeremy Cameron late to his own party
All attention was on one man in Geelong on Friday night, but Jeremy Cameron was late to the party, in more ways than one. The Cats were too strong for the young Bombers, recording a comfortable 15.19 (109) to 10.5 (65) win, with Cameron missing some chances and finishing with 4.5 to move to 79 goals for the season. The Cats superstar came into the clash on 75 goals for the season, miles clear in the Coleman Medal race and with speculation rife he could kick the magical ton this season. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Cameron himself admitted pre-match there was 'too much focus' on the 100-goal chase, but it clearly wasn't phasing the man from tiny Dartmoor in southwest Victoria. The 32-year-old sheepishly admitted before the opening bounce he was 30 minutes late getting to the ground as he tended to his farm, which is around 20 minutes outside Geelong. He then kept the Fox Footy crew waiting for an interview while he took a few more warm-up shots on goal and the commentators tried desperately to fill the time. Garry Lyon and Jordan Lewis both tried to get Cameron's attention before he finally sauntered over. 'I'll see if I can grab his attention,' Lyon said. 'No, he's having another shot.' When he did arrive, they couldn't resist some gentle ribbing. 'Jezza we've been padding for five minutes,' Lyon said. Lewis then chimed in with: 'Mate the game's about to start.' Once the interview did get underway, the former GWS star was naturally asked about the pursuit of the ton. 'Too much focus I reckon,' he said. 'Everyone asks about it, pretty much everywhere you go, especially the kids and that. 'That's all good fun, but I don't take myself too seriously, sort of try to laugh it off and have fun out there with the boys and that's what I'll be doing again tonight.' When he was asked about his overall approach, Cameron was true to form when he said with a grin: 'It changes for each individual. I got here half an hour late, which was spot on for me. 'That's how I sort of approach it. I did the last check-up (at the farm), just made sure everything's OK. 'Everyone's got their own prep and from there we're pretty steely focused.' During a big build-up to a match that wasn't expected to be overly challenging for Geelong against the lowly Bombers, goalkicking great Jason Dunstall talked about the chase for the century of goals last achieved by Buddy Franklin way back in 2008. 'I think he doesn't want to think about it too much, but it's there, front of mind, make no mistake,' Dunstall said. 'When you're a goalkicker you know exactly how many you have, you know what you're chasing and he's not far away.' Boundary rider Cam Mooney then stunned everyone by picking a big key forward to kick a bag of goals … only it wasn't Cameron. 'I think that man right there is going to be the man tonight,' Mooney said as the camera panned to another big Geelong forward, Shannon Neale. 'He might kick the bag. It's not going to be Jeremy Cameron, I'm sorry guys, it's going to be this man, Shannon Neale. 'Everyone's going to be too interested in stopping Jezza.' Mooney proved he's somewhat of a Nostradamus as Neale duly kicked the first three goals of the game over the opening 12 minutes. 'Shannon Neale came in as the support act, but he has grabbed the early running,' Gerard Whateley said 10 minutes into the game. 'Two goals for Neale.' Two minutes later, Neale had his third and Lyon quipped: 'I don't know if Cam Mooney's got the Tatts Lotto numbers, I tell you what.' 'The count is on,' Whateley added. 'Just not the count we were expecting.' It took until six minutes into the second term for Cameron to finally get his chase moving. He took a contested mark on a tight angle and had no issue stepping back and slotting goal No. 76 for the year. 'Jeremy Cameron, it's such a beautiful kick, and that's the rise the crowd was looking for,' Whateley said. Four minutes later he kicked his second from another contested mark with Mooney saying: 'Listen to the crowd.' Anthony Hudson then stated: 'For a career-best 77 goals, he was late to the game and late to get started, but he's off and running now Jeremy Cameron. 'That is two.' That 77th goal was one clear of his previous best, the 76 he kicked for the Giants back in 2019. The Cats took a 27-point lead into the halftime break and Hudson said: 'Eyes will turn again to Jeremy Cameron in the second half.' Instead, another key forward started to make his mark on the contest. Bombers youngster Liam McMahon managed one goal in each of the first two quarters and then two more in the third as the 23-year-old continued to give long-suffering Essendon fans some hope for the future. 'Jeremy who?' Hudson said when McMahon slotted his fourth. The Bombers closed to within three goals in a surprisingly competitive second half without really threatening to pull off the massive upset. Cameron was able to flex his muscles in front of goal in the final term, kicking two goals in a four-minute period to move to 79. He had another chance in the dying minutes. 'You felt like he had to get to 80 tonight to be a legit chance,' Whateley added. 'Not just a 'let's talk it up chance'.' But he pushed the shot across goal, with Dunstall saying glumly: 'Come on Jez.' The Cameron watch will now move to Sydney for the Cats' match against the Swans next week.
