Cameron Ling
Encyclopedia
Cameron Ling is a former Australian rules football
er for the Geelong Football Club
in the Australian Football League
(AFL). A tagger at 1.89 metres (6 ft) and 94 kilograms (207 lb), Ling was a premiership-winning captain
at the club.
and Before the Game
where he was nicknamed Fanta Pants. He is also known by other nicknames such as spotfire, ranga and blood nut. His charisma in the media has earned him his own show on Geelong station K-Rock 95.5FM. He hosts it each Wednesday night with friend and ex-Cats player 'Freshy' Tim Callan
(now at the Western Bulldogs).
Ling played junior football for the Geelong Falcons as a full-forward and was drafted by his hometown club, the Geelong Football Club
. In one of his earliest matches, he missed an absolute "howler", failing to score from a set shot inside the goal square.
Throughout the 2007 season he has been praised for his work as a defensive midfielder, claiming the scalps of numerous opponents including Daniel Kerr
, Peter Bell
, Brent Harvey
and Nick Dal Santo
and was rewarded for his performances with selection in the All-Australian team on the interchange.
On 20 January 2010, Cameron Ling was announced as the team's new captain, taking over from the recently retired Tom Harley
.
Cameron Ling announced his retirement on 5th October, 2011.
in a commentary role on one of their new Saturday games.
On Wednesday 3 October 2007 though, Geelong's then Mayor, councillor Bruce Harwood, agreed that he'd be happy to step down for Cameron. Ling's interest in politics and his intelligence is widely known, while it's been reported that he took a significant interest in local council and leadership during his days at St. Joseph's College, Geelong
.
During the Premiership celebratory parade through Geelong's streets on 3 October, Ling acknowledged his title as mayor, however despite the contention it raised, was never formalised and thus more of a publicity stunt. It was an incident that may well foreshadow his pursuits after football.
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2000
|
| 45
| 10
| 71
| 45
| 26
| 25
| 7
| 3
| 1
| 7.1
| 4.5
| 2.6
| 2.5
| 0.7
| 0.3
| 0.1
|-
| 2001
| Geelong
| 45
| 13
| 165
| 104
| 61
| 43
| 30
| 8
| 3
| 12.7
| 8.0
| 4.7
| 3.3
| 2.3
| 0.6
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2002
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 415
| 248
| 167
| 85
| 49
| 11
| 8
| 19.8
| 11.8
| 8.0
| 4.0
| 2.3
| 0.5
| 0.4
|-
| 2003
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 522
| 280
| 242
| 112
| 53
| 4
| 5
| 24.9
| 13.3
| 11.5
| 5.3
| 2.5
| 0.2
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2004
| Geelong
| 45
| 25
| 592
| 357
| 235
| 168
| 72
| 16
| 5
| 23.7
| 14.3
| 9.4
| 6.7
| 2.9
| 0.6
| 0.2
|-
| 2005
| Geelong
| 45
| 23
| 567
| 307
| 260
| 139
| 50
| 11
| 9
| 24.6
| 13.4
| 11.3
| 6.0
| 2.2
| 0.5
| 0.4
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2006
| Geelong
| 45
| 22
| 503
| 248
| 255
| 131
| 61
| 10
| 3
| 22.9
| 11.3
| 11.6
| 6.0
| 2.8
| 0.4
| 0.1
|-
| 2007
| Geelong
| 45
| 24
| 476
| 215
| 261
| 107
| 69
| 28
| 6
| 19.8
| 9.0
| 10.9
| 4.5
| 2.9
| 1.2
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2008
| Geelong
| 45
| 23
| 546
| 237
| 309
| 106
| 79
| 15
| 5
| 23.7
| 10.3
| 13.4
| 4.6
| 3.4
| 0.6
| 0.2
|-
| 2009
| Geelong
| 45
| 22
| 500
| 235
| 265
| 100
| 106
| 7
| 7
| 22.7
| 10.7
| 12.0
| 4.6
| 4.8
| 0.3
| 0.3
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2010
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 464
| 211
| 253
| 76
| 112
| 9
| 12
| 22.1
| 10.0
| 12.0
| 3.6
| 5.3
| 0.4
| 0.6
|-
| 2011
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 457
| 265
| 192
| 74
| 92
| 17
| 9
| 21.8
| 12.6
| 9.1
| 3.5
| 4.4
| 0.8
| 0.4
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 246
! 5278
! 2752
! 2526
! 1166
! 780
! 139
! 73
! 21.5
! 11.2
! 10.3
! 4.7
! 3.2
! 0.6
! 0.3
|}
Team
Individual
Other achievements
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). A tagger at 1.89 metres (6 ft) and 94 kilograms (207 lb), Ling was a premiership-winning captain
Captain (Australian rules football)
A captain of an Australian rules football team, sometimes known as a skipper is a player who, during the course of a match and off the field, has several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player....
at the club.
Career
Renowned as the best tagger in the league, Ling is noted for his red hair and regularly makes appearances on television shows such as The Footy ShowThe AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
and Before the Game
Before the Game
Before The Game is an Australian rules football/comedy television show in Australia on Network Ten. The show is hosted by Andrew Maher, with regular panelists including Mick Molloy, Dave Hughes, Sam Lane, and Lehmo. The format of the show is a light-hearted discussion of issues relating to the...
where he was nicknamed Fanta Pants. He is also known by other nicknames such as spotfire, ranga and blood nut. His charisma in the media has earned him his own show on Geelong station K-Rock 95.5FM. He hosts it each Wednesday night with friend and ex-Cats player 'Freshy' Tim Callan
Tim Callan
Tim Callan is a former Australian rules football player for the Western Bulldogs, and the Geelong Football Club. He is the son of former Geelong player, Terry Callan.-Geelong:...
(now at the Western Bulldogs).
Ling played junior football for the Geelong Falcons as a full-forward and was drafted by his hometown club, the Geelong Football Club
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
. In one of his earliest matches, he missed an absolute "howler", failing to score from a set shot inside the goal square.
Throughout the 2007 season he has been praised for his work as a defensive midfielder, claiming the scalps of numerous opponents including Daniel Kerr
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Matthew Kerr is an Australian rules footballer.Kerr was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club and made his AFL debut in 2001 with the West Coast Eagles. He is a hard-running midfielder who is a vital part of the midfield at the Eagles.-Background:Kerr is of Anglo-Indian descent...
, Peter Bell
Peter F. Bell
Peter Francis Bell is a former Australian rules footballer for the Fremantle Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club. He played as a rover . A former captain of the Fremantle Football Club, Bell was twice named as a member of the All-Australian Team...
, Brent Harvey
Brent Harvey
Brent "Boomer" Harvey is an Australian rules footballer and the current captain of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
and Nick Dal Santo
Nick Dal Santo
Nick Dal Santo is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...
and was rewarded for his performances with selection in the All-Australian team on the interchange.
On 20 January 2010, Cameron Ling was announced as the team's new captain, taking over from the recently retired Tom Harley
Tom Harley
Thomas 'Tom' Harley is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
.
Cameron Ling announced his retirement on 5th October, 2011.
Post Football
In November 2011, Ling announced he would join Channel 7Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
in a commentary role on one of their new Saturday games.
"Mayor" of Geelong
In what started as a joke, following the hype of the Cats drought-breaking premiership, Cameron Ling was touted as the 'mayor of Geelong', a humorous reference to the way he is idolised by Geelong people.On Wednesday 3 October 2007 though, Geelong's then Mayor, councillor Bruce Harwood, agreed that he'd be happy to step down for Cameron. Ling's interest in politics and his intelligence is widely known, while it's been reported that he took a significant interest in local council and leadership during his days at St. Joseph's College, Geelong
St. Joseph's College, Geelong
St Joseph's College, sometimes referred to colloquially as Joeys or SJC, is a Roman Catholic Independent school for boys located in the inner Geelong suburb of Newtown...
.
During the Premiership celebratory parade through Geelong's streets on 3 October, Ling acknowledged his title as mayor, however despite the contention it raised, was never formalised and thus more of a publicity stunt. It was an incident that may well foreshadow his pursuits after football.
Statistics
- Statistics are correct to end of AFL career.
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2000
|
| 45
| 10
| 71
| 45
| 26
| 25
| 7
| 3
| 1
| 7.1
| 4.5
| 2.6
| 2.5
| 0.7
| 0.3
| 0.1
|-
| 2001
2001 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2001.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:Port Adelaide defeated Brisbane Lions 17.9 to 3.8 in the Final....
| Geelong
| 45
| 13
| 165
| 104
| 61
| 43
| 30
| 8
| 3
| 12.7
| 8.0
| 4.7
| 3.3
| 2.3
| 0.6
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2002
2002 AFL season
-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 176...
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 415
| 248
| 167
| 85
| 49
| 11
| 8
| 19.8
| 11.8
| 8.0
| 4.0
| 2.3
| 0.5
| 0.4
|-
| 2003
2003 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2003.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:...
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 522
| 280
| 242
| 112
| 53
| 4
| 5
| 24.9
| 13.3
| 11.5
| 5.3
| 2.5
| 0.2
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2004
2004 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2004.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Wizard Home Loans Cup:The Wizard Home Loans Cup Final saw St...
| Geelong
| 45
| 25
| 592
| 357
| 235
| 168
| 72
| 16
| 5
| 23.7
| 14.3
| 9.4
| 6.7
| 2.9
| 0.6
| 0.2
|-
| 2005
2005 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2005.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:...
| Geelong
| 45
| 23
| 567
| 307
| 260
| 139
| 50
| 11
| 9
| 24.6
| 13.4
| 11.3
| 6.0
| 2.2
| 0.5
| 0.4
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2006
2006 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final...
| Geelong
| 45
| 22
| 503
| 248
| 255
| 131
| 61
| 10
| 3
| 22.9
| 11.3
| 11.6
| 6.0
| 2.8
| 0.4
| 0.1
|-
| 2007
2007 AFL season
The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
| Geelong
| 45
| 24
| 476
| 215
| 261
| 107
| 69
| 28
| 6
| 19.8
| 9.0
| 10.9
| 4.5
| 2.9
| 1.2
| 0.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2008
2008 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:...
| Geelong
| 45
| 23
| 546
| 237
| 309
| 106
| 79
| 15
| 5
| 23.7
| 10.3
| 13.4
| 4.6
| 3.4
| 0.6
| 0.2
|-
| 2009
2009 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:...
| Geelong
| 45
| 22
| 500
| 235
| 265
| 100
| 106
| 7
| 7
| 22.7
| 10.7
| 12.0
| 4.6
| 4.8
| 0.3
| 0.3
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
| 2010
2010 AFL season
-Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22...
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 464
| 211
| 253
| 76
| 112
| 9
| 12
| 22.1
| 10.0
| 12.0
| 3.6
| 5.3
| 0.4
| 0.6
|-
| 2011
2011 AFL season
The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams...
| Geelong
| 45
| 21
| 457
| 265
| 192
| 74
| 92
| 17
| 9
| 21.8
| 12.6
| 9.1
| 3.5
| 4.4
| 0.8
| 0.4
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 246
! 5278
! 2752
! 2526
! 1166
! 780
! 139
! 73
! 21.5
! 11.2
! 10.3
! 4.7
! 3.2
! 0.6
! 0.3
|}
Honours and achievements
| Brownlow Medal Brownlow Medal The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game... votes |
|
| Season | Votes |
|---|---|
| 2000 | — |
| 2001 2001 Brownlow Medal The 2001 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Jason Akermanis from the Brisbane Lions for being the best and fairest player during the 2001 Australian Football League home and away season.-Leading votegetters:... |
2 |
| 2002 2002 Brownlow Medal The 2002 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Simon Black from the Brisbane Lions during the 2002 Australian Football League home and away season.-Leading votegetters:... |
12 |
| 2003 2003 Brownlow Medal The 2003 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Nathan Buckley from the Collingwood Magpies, Adam Goodes from the Sydney Swans and Mark Ricciuto from the Adelaide Crows for all three being the best and fairest players during the 2003 Australian Football League home and away season.-Leading votegetters: ... |
12 |
| 2004 2004 Brownlow Medal The 2004 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Chris Judd from the West Coast Eagles for being the best and fairest player during the 2004 Australian Football League home and away season.-Leading votegetters:... |
12 |
| 2005 2005 Brownlow Medal The Brownlow Medal was awarded in 2005 to Ben Cousins from the West Coast Eagles for being the best and fairest player during the 2005 Australian Football League home and away season. It is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football and was held at the Crown Palladium in... |
13 |
| 2006 2006 Brownlow Medal The 2006 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Adam Goodes from the Sydney Swans for being the best and fairest player during the 2006 Australian Football League home and away season. It is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football and was held at the Crown Palladium in... |
6 |
| 2007 2007 Brownlow Medal Round 2 Round 3 Round 4Round 5-Rounds 6–10:Round 6Round 7Round 8Round 9 Round 10-Rounds 11–15:Round 11Round 12 Round 13Round 14 Round 15-Rounds 16–20:... |
1 |
| 2008 2008 Brownlow Medal The 2008 Brownlow Medal was awarded to Adam Cooney of the Western Bulldogs, who was adjudged to have been the best and fairest player during the 2008 Australian Football League home and away season. It is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football and was held at the Crown... |
9 |
| 2009 2009 Brownlow Medal -Voting Procedure:The three field umpires confer after each match and award 3 votes, 2 votes and 1 vote to the players they regard as the best, second best and third best in the match respectively.-Ineligible players:As the award is for the Best and Fairest player in the league, players found guilty... |
2 |
| 2010 2010 Brownlow Medal The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football and was awarded in 2010 to Chris Judd from the Carlton Football Club for being voted as the fairest and best during the 2010 Australian Football League home and away season. The vote counting ceremony was held... |
2 |
| 2011 2011 Brownlow Medal The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football. The award was presented on Monday, 26 September, in the week before the 2011 AFL Grand Final.-Leading votegetters:... |
— |
| Total | 71 |
Team
- AFL Premiership (Geelong): 2007, 2009, 2011 (captain)
- AFL McClelland Trophy (Geelong): 2007, 2008
- AFL NAB Cup (Geelong): 2006, 2009
Individual
- All-Australian: 2007
- Carji Greeves MedalCarji Greeves MedalThe Carji Greeves Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player adjudged Best and Fairest for the Geelong Football Club for the season....
: 2004 - Australian representative honours in International rules footballInternational rules footballInternational rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
: 2002 - AFL Rising Star nomination: 2001
- Geelong F.C. Best First Year Reserves Player Award: 2000
- Geelong F.C. Most Improved Player Award: 2001
- Geelong F.C. Most club votes in Brownlow Medal: 2002, 2003, 2005
- Geelong F.C. Community Champion Award: 2003
- Geelong F.C. Most Determined and Most Dedicated Player Award: 2005
- Geelong F.C Coach's Award: 2008
- TAC CupTAC CupThe TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
Team of the Year: 1998 - Vic Country representative honours at the AFL National Under 18 ChampionshipsAFL National Under 18 ChampionshipsThe NAB AFL Under 18 Championships are the annual national Australian rules football championships for players aged 18 years or younger. The competition is seen as one of the main pathways towards being drafted into a team in the fully professional Australian Football League...
: 1998, 1999 - Australian (Under-17) representative honours in International rules footballInternational rules footballInternational rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
: 1998
Other achievements
- Captain of Geelong F.C.: 2010—2011
- Vice-captain of Geelong F.C.: 2007—2009
- Deputy vice-captain of Geelong F.C.: 2005—2006
- Captain of Geelong FalconsGeelong FalconsThe Geelong Falcons are a junior Australian rules football representative club in the TAC Cup competition, Victoria, Australia.The club takes in talented junior players from the Geelong, Colac and Warrnambool regions in order to groom them for AFL selection...
(TAC Cup): 1998