Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron driven to prove his worth in flag hat-trick bid

As good as winning a second successive AFL premiership was for Charlie Cameron, the Brisbane Lions livewire felt he should have contributed more last season. The Lions start their bid for a hat-trick of flags on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba, with Cameron again set to be a key part of Brisbane’s forward line. And feeling strong after a good pre-season that included representing Western Australia against Victoria in last month’s State of Origin clash, 31-year-old Cameron hopes to make a greater contribution this year after last season kicking just 32 goals – four of which came in Brisbane’s grand final win over Geelong – in 25 appearances. “It (his 2025 form) was disappointing and didn’t live up to the standard I wanted, but you’ve got to take the positives out of the year and learn from those mistakes, ” he said on Thursday. “It's a new year, a different approach, and I can’t wait to show everyone that I can still match it with the best.” Cameron said his pre-season had included more running sessions with teammates Harris Andrews, Dayne Zorko and Ryan Lester. “There’s probably just a clear mindset coming back,” he said. “I showed that in the pre-season against Victoria and Gold Coast (in last week’s trial), so I’m building of what I did at the end of (last season). “Everyone expects me to kick 50 or 60 goals a year, but I was trying to go for the team approach last year. do the little things for the team, tackle, pressure, and bring a bit of energy to the group. “I didn’t have the impact I wanted on the offensive side, but little things throughout the games I can take positives from. “I’ve got a good enough tank to get up the ground and have an influence up there, and getting back to goal as well and challenging my defenders there.” Cameron was confident the Lions could block out what was set to be constant “noise” this year about winning three successive premierships and emulating the feats of Brisbane’s team that won three flags on the trot from 2001 to 2003. “It took a while for us to get going last year, and this year again it’s going to be a different story, a different theme, so we’re looking forward to it,” he said. “There’s a lot of belief that we can get back to the last week of September, but it’s a tough competition and we’ve got a tough match this weekend against the Doggies.” Former West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen will make his first AFL appearance for the Lions on Saturday night, while 20-year-old ruckman Zane Zakostelsky has been handed a top-flight debut. “When I got told I was playing my heart dropped and it was just pure joy,” Zakostelsky said. “It means the world to me and it’s the stuff you dream about as a kid, so running out there is going to be very special.” Brisbane’s team also includes defender Keidean Coleman, who has made only two AFL appearances in the past two seasons due to injuries.