Almost ten years to the day since first being drafted to Brisbane, Carlton’s quintessential journeyman Cameron Wood has inked a two-year contract binding him to the Blues until the end of 2016.
Wood, the South Australian whose past three seasons have seen him turn out for Collingwood, Williamstown and now Carlton, this week welcomed the stability now afforded his football.
“This is very good news,” Wood said at Visy Park this week.
“Half way through the year I didn’t really know what was going to happen. I kept trying to play as well as I could and though I ended up playing the last handful of games there were still no guarantees.
“I took off on a holiday and it was still up in the air, but I definitely wanted to stay here. Now I’ve signed for two years and if you think back to this time last year I was nowhere.”
Cameron Wood and former Blues ruckman Barnaby French do battle in 2006. (Photo: AFL Photos)
Wood recently reacquainted with Justin Sherman, during which time the pair reflected on the machinations of the 2004 national draft, which saw the West Adelaide ruckman taken by the Lions with their first round selection at 18 overall, and Clarence’s Sherman with their second at 45.
“It (draft day) was the 20th of November,” Wood said. “I recently looked at some photos of that day and couldn’t believe how skinny I was.
“I debuted in Round 5 against (Dean) Cox, (Michael) Gardiner and (Mark) Seaby, and ‘Juddy’ (Chris Judd was playing . . . and I’d literally just finished Year 12 exams.”
Traded by Brisbane after 16 senior appearances to Collingwood in exchange for selection 14, Wood represented the black and whites in 48 matches before being delisted in late 2012.
Completing a stint with VFL outfit Williamstown, Wood was later taken by Carlton in the 2014 rookie draft at selection 28 overall.
And the rest, as they say, is football history.
Cameron Wood is congratulated by his skipper after making his debut against the Kangaroos in Round 18 of the 2014 season. (Photo: AFL Photos)
At 27, big Cam has experienced the ruthlessness of the game with all its pitfalls and he’s come through with flying colours – and that’s surely to Carlton’s benefit, for this is a player who truly values opportunity.
“It might be a bit strange to play for the same club three years in a row,” Wood dryly suggested.
“But I think I’ve played my most consistent football through the past two years. I don’t know whether it was the year out or getting delisted by Collingwood which was a big wake up call, or playing at Williamstown where it wasn’t my job anymore. Whatever happened, when I got picked up by Carlton I came in with a different approach about the game . . . and you can turn it around pretty quickly.”
Cameron Wood
DOB: 4 March, 1987
AFL Debut: (Brisbane) Round 5, 2005 v West Coast
Carlton Debut: Round 18, 2014 v North Melbourne
AFL Games: 70
Carlton Games: 6
Goals: 23
Guernsey No. 36
Carlton Player No. 1154
