Cameron Mooney

Cameron Mooney

Cameron Mooney
Personal information
Date of birth (1979-09-26) 26 September 1979
Place of birth Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Original team(s) Turvey Park (Riverina Football League)
Draft #56, 1996 National Draft, North Melbourne
Height/Weight 195cm / 99 kg
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1997 - 1999
2000 – 2011
Total		 North Melbourne
Geelong		 011 00(2)
210 (295)
221 (297)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2008 Dream Team 1 (1)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2011 season.
Career highlights

Cameron Mooney (born 26 September 1979) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Geelong Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). A forward, 1.95 metres (6 ft 5 in) tall and weighing 99 kilograms (218 lb), Mooney is renowned for his passion,[1] as well as his poor tribunal history where he holds the record for the most suspensions in a single season by a VFL/AFL player.[2]

Mooney was selected in the 2007 All-Australian Team, and was part of Geelong's AFL premiership-winning team in the same year. He also represented the Dream Team state team in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match in 2008, as well as being the leading goalkicker for Geelong in 2007.

Early life

Mooney grew up in suburban Wagga Wagga with his brother Jason Mooney, attending Mount Austin High School in his teens. He began playing football with Turvey Park Football Club, later representing the NSW/ACT Rams in the TAC Cup before being taken by the Kangaroos with the 56th pick in the 1996 AFL Draft.

Career

1999: Kangaroos

Mooney made his AFL debut with the Kangaroos during round 7 of his first AFL season against the Adelaide Crows. That year, he was a member of the Kangaroos premiership team which defeated Carlton. However, he did not receive a single touch in this game and spent a large portion of the game on the bench.

2000: Trade to Geelong

At the end of 1999, Mooney was part of the trade which saw former Geelong captain, Leigh Colbert head to the Kangaroos, allowing Mooney to end up at Geelong. He was traded along with the 53rd and 67th selection in 1999 AFL Draft. This season also saw a Kangaroos assistant coach, Mark Thompson, take up the head coaching job at Geelong.

2004 – 2005

Following four unproductive years off the field, Mooney blossomed in 2004, subsequently catapulting Geelong to premiership contention. In 2005, Mooney's year was interrupted by injury. However, he destroyed Melbourne in the elimination final. The defining snapshot of Mooney's career was after the siren in the semi final against the Sydney Swans where Geelong lost by 3 points after Nick Davis goaled for Sydney with 2 seconds remaining giving the Swans their first and only lead of the entire game. Mooney was gutted by the result and was openly distressed and weeping. The Swans went on to win the 2005 Premiership.

2006: Suspensions

Mooney in 2006, after the heartache of 2005, experienced the relative joy of a pre-season premiership. However, his premiership season was not as fruitful. He was suspended, as well as his 100th game resulting in a loss. Geelong lost this game despite leading the West Coast Eagles by 54 points in the third quarter. Mooney was suspended on four separate occasions in 2006, leading to the club fining him week's wages. This lack of discipline was seen as detrimental to the team despite Mooney's good form. At the end of 2006 season Mooney also requested to be traded to another club, though he was convinced to stay at Geelong another year.

2007: Premiership glory

Playing permanently in the forward line for the first time, Mooney had an instrumental role as Geelong finished on top of the ladder at the end of the home and away season. Mooney topped the club goalkicking with 55 goals and was awarded with All-Australian selection for the first time. He is seen by some as the heart of the club due to his heart-on-sleeve attitude. Mooney capped off a remarkable season in 2007 kicking 5 goals in the premiership victory over Port Adelaide.

2008: Premiership heartbreak

Cameron Mooney’s good form continued in 2008 season, he kicked 15 fewer goals though Geelong won 3 more games and kicked an extra 130 points. Mooney’s season turned from memorable to forgettable during the 2008 AFL Grand Final.

Mooney started the match well taking a few early marks and ended the first quarter with two goals including one from a difficult snap from the boundary line. All this early good work fell to pieces at half time, when Mooney who seconds before the siren marked the ball about 5 metres out on a slight angle. He too comfortably walked in to kick the goal and sprayed the ball to the left registering a behind, had he kicked a goal Geelong would have gone into half time with a 2-point lead instead of 3 points behind which they ultimately did.

The second half started just as it ended for Mooney another missed opportunity. This time he was 30 metres out directly in front and missed another vital goal. This miss along with a couple of other misses ultimately cost them the game. Mooney finished the day with 2 goals 3 behinds from a total of 14 disposals, it was a disappointing day for himself and Geelong.

Retirement

After a series of injuries that kept him out of the team and the fact that younger players had stepped up to the mark Mooney announced his retirement at the end of the 2011 season.

He is now a regular panellist on AFL 360, a nightly AFL panel program on Fox Footy, and will also commentate for SEN 1116. He is also a boundary rider for Fox Footy

Statistics

[3]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
1999 Kangaroos 19 11 2 3 25 13 38 14 3 0.2 0.3 2.3 1.2 3.5 1.3 0.3
2000 Geelong 21 6 6 3 15 9 24 11 1 1.0 0.5 2.5 1.5 4.0 1.8 0.2
2001 Geelong 21 11 3 2 43 39 82 25 15 0.3 0.2 3.9 3.5 7.5 2.3 1.4
2002 Geelong 21 19 28 16 126 75 201 88 19 1.5 0.8 6.6 3.9 10.6 4.6 1.0
2003 Geelong 21 14 10 14 83 34 117 55 8 0.7 1.0 5.9 2.4 8.4 3.9 0.6
2004 Geelong 21 24 12 6 228 147 375 116 35 0.5 0.3 9.5 6.1 15.6 4.8 1.5
2005 Geelong 21 17 4 2 184 118 302 101 22 0.2 0.1 10.8 6.9 17.8 5.9 1.3
2006 Geelong 21 17 22 8 177 82 259 124 20 1.3 0.5 10.4 4.8 15.2 7.3 1.2
2007 Geelong 21 25 67 38 242 88 330 191 25 2.7 1.5 9.7 3.5 13.2 7.6 1.0
2008 Geelong 21 24 52 36 229 116 345 201 24 2.2 1.5 9.5 4.8 14.4 8.4 1.0
2009 Geelong 21 24 46 42 224 97 321 178 28 1.9 1.8 9.3 4.0 13.4 7.4 1.2
2010 Geelong 21 21 36 30 182 72 254 131 32 1.7 1.4 8.7 3.4 12.1 6.2 1.5
2011 Geelong 21 8 9 8 57 51 108 36 17 1.1 1.0 7.1 6.4 13.5 4.5 2.1
Career 221 297 208 1815 941 2756 1271 249 1.3 0.9 8.2 4.3 12.5 5.8 1.1

Honours and achievements

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
1999 —
2000 —
2001 —
2002 1
2003 —
2004 3
2005 1
2006 4
2007 1
2008 3
Total 13
Key:
Red / Italics = Ineligible

Team:

Individual:

Milestones:

Tribunal history

Season Round Charge category (level) Victim Result Verdict Ref(s)
2001 1 Striking Michael Gardiner (West Coast) Guilty (lost at tribunal) 2 matches suspension [4][5]
17 Melee involvement — Not guilty (won at tribunal) — [4][5]
19 Striking Jess Sinclair (North Melbourne) Guilty (early plea) 3 matches suspension [4][5]
2003 12 Striking Graham Polak (Fremantle) Guilty (lost at tribunal) 2 matches suspension [5][6]
2004 18 Rough conduct Leigh Montagna (St Kilda) Not guilty (won at tribunal) — [5][7]
2005 9 Striking (1) Corey Jones (Kangaroos) Guilty (early plea) 1 match suspension [5][8]
18 Melee involvement — Guilty (accepted fine) $1,500 fine [5][8]
2006 6 Contact with face Ben Holland (Melbourne) Guilty (lost at tribunal) 1 match suspension [5][9]
15 Striking (2) Josh Mahoney (Port Adelaide) Guilty (early plea) 1 match suspension [5][9]
17 Charging Daniel Pratt (Kangaroos) Guilty (early plea) 1 match suspension [5][9]
20 Striking (3) Amon Buchanan (Sydney) Guilty (early plea) 2 matches suspension [5][9]
2008 4 Tripping (1) Leigh Montagna (St Kilda) Guilty (won at tribunal) Reprimand [5][10]
2009 8 Striking Scott Thompson (North Melbourne) Guilty 1 match suspension [11]

References

  1. ↑ McAsey, Jenny (1 October 2007). "Honesty, faith key to year of Cat". The Australian. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Mooney makes history with fourth AFL ban". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  3. ↑ Cameron Mooney's player profile at AFL Tables
  4. 1 2 3 "Tribunal History in Season 2001". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Cameron Mooney, Geelong Cats @ FanFooty". FanFooty. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  6. ↑ "Tribunal History in Season 2003". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  7. ↑ "Tribunal History in Season 2004". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  8. 1 2 "Tribunal History in Season 2005". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Tribunal History in Season 2006". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  10. ↑ "Tribunal History in Season 2008". AFL Historical Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  11. ↑ Matthews, Bruce (18 May 2009). "Strike one, Cameron Mooney". The Advertiser. Retrieved 18 May 2009.

External links

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