Cats, Star Cameron on High Alert After Carlton Coach’s Comments Geelong Cats and All-Australian forward Jeremy Cameron has become the subject of intense speculation following comments made by Carlton Football Club coach Michael Voss. During a recent press conference, Voss expressed his admiration for Cameron’s playing abilities and suggested that he would be a welcome addition to the Blues’ squad. “Jeremy Cameron is one of the best forwards in the game. He’s a real handful to play against,” said Voss. “If the opportunity ever presented itself, I’d love to have him at Carlton.” Voss’s comments have sent shockwaves through the AFL community, as Cameron is widely regarded as one of the Cats’ most valuable players. The 29-year-old has been a key figure in Geelong’s recent success, kicking 51 goals in 2022 and playing a pivotal role in the team’s premiership victory. In response to Voss’s remarks, Geelong coach Chris Scott has expressed his confidence in Cameron’s commitment to the club. “Jeremy is a very important player for us, and we’re not planning on letting him go anywhere,” said Scott. “He’s contracted until the end of 2024, and we’ve got every intention of keeping him beyond that.” However, sources within Carlton are said to be keeping a close eye on Cameron’s situation. The Blues have a history of poaching star players from rival clubs, having recently acquired Patrick Cripps, Adam Saad, and Zac Williams. Cameron has not publicly addressed the speculation surrounding his future, but his agent, Peter Lenton, has reportedly been in contact with Carlton regarding a potential deal. The Cats are determined to retain Cameron’s services, but they are aware that a large offer from a rival club could tempt him to leave. As the trade period approaches, all eyes will be on the forward’s next move and whether he will remain a Cat or seek a fresh start elsewhere.Carlton coach Michael Voss has identified Jeremy Cameron as a key target in his plan to contain Geelong’s dangerous attack in their upcoming AFL clash.Carlton coach Michael Voss has identified Jeremy Cameron as a key target in his plan to contain Geelong’s dangerous attack in their upcoming AFL clash. The Blues (9-4) and Cats (8-5) will face off for the second time this season at the MCG on Friday night, after a mid-season bye. Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield is set to return from a hamstring injury and could be tagged by Blues defender Alex Cincotta, while Voss may also consider sending his primary stopper to Tom Stewart or Max Holmes. However, it is Cameron, the mobile key forward, who poses the biggest threat, having kicked 11 goals in the two previous meetings between the teams. “Cameron’s done particularly well against us the last couple of times, but it’s important to try to find even balance because there’s a few other pieces that go really well,” Voss said. “They’ve got other threats that are forward of the ball and clearly they’ve got scoring power. “We have to keep that in mind and Jeremy’s clearly a high priority, but we also can’t focus all our energies on one person. “There’s a system that we need to make sure we pay attention to and there’s a style we want to go after.” That focus includes implementing a stronger team defensive structure, after Carlton conceded a season-high 118 points to Geelong in their round-seven encounter. “We were just too easy to score against,” Voss said. “That game and a few other games mean we’ve had to work hard at being able to correct that and make sure we defend harder for longer, and not just make it an offensive transition game. “We feel like we’ve gone to work pretty hard on that. “There is an expectation that we defend harder and a standard we expect, and we’re going to go hard on that.” Cincotta has been praised for his shutdown jobs in recent weeks and looms as a key player in the Blues’ strategy, with Voss unwilling to reveal which Cats player the tagger will shadow. “It’s something we’ve added into our game that’s been quite useful for us,” Voss said. “Clearly we’ve had a bias of looking at the midfielder and I think we still have that within us, but we acknowledge that there are some really important players to Geelong that help them execute the way they want to be able to play. “Stewart is one of those, clearly, but they’ve got some through the midfield and up forward that we’ll need to take care of. “They’re all things to keep in mind but we still come largely focused on how we try to fuel our own game.” Geelong star Dangerfield is set to play for the first time since round seven, while Zach Tuohy and Ollie Henry are also clear to return. However, Cats midfielder Tanner Bruhn will miss at least a month after breaking a wrist in training this week.Carlton coach Michael Voss is on high alert after star midfielder Sam Walsh was subbed out of Saturday’s Marsh Community Series match against the Western Bulldogs with a corked calf. Walsh was substituted out of the game in the second quarter after being tackled by Bulldogs defender Alex Keath. He was seen limping off the field and went straight to the rooms. Voss said after the game that Walsh’s injury was “not ideal” but that he was hopeful the 21-year-old would be fit to play in Carlton’s season opener against Richmond on March 18. “We’ll just have to see how he pulls up over the next few days,” Voss said. “It’s not ideal, but we’re hopeful that he’ll be okay for Round 1.” Walsh’s injury is a blow to Carlton, who are already without star forward Charlie Curnow (knee) and key defender Jacob Weitering (ankle). The Blues were well beaten by the Bulldogs on Saturday, losing by 50 points. However, Voss said he was pleased with the effort of his players. “We were outplayed today, but I was pleased with the effort of our players,” Voss said. “We’re still a young team and we’re learning. We’ll take the lessons from today and we’ll be better for it.” Carlton will play their final Marsh Community Series match against the Gold Coast Suns on March 12.