AFL is known for the grey area in its rules but Charlie Cameron learned umpires can be incredibly strict for the ones they do enforce.
Cameron’s Brisbane Lions blew the Gold Coast Suns off the Gabba in the first half and cruised to a 10.19 (79) to 6.9 (45) drubbing in the Q Clash on Sunday.
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But the win came with a brutal injury toll with the Lions having just two fit players on the bench for most of the match.
Brandon Starcevich went down with a calf injury in the warm-up, before Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner suffered knee injuries, while Noah Answerth was ruled out with concussion.
It meant Logan Morris, who had played VFL earlier in the day, played most of the QClash as well.
And the injury cost could have been even worse after Cameron appeared to hurt his left leg when Gold Coast’s Ethan Read tackled him from behind to win a holding the ball free kick.
In clear pain, Cameron was slow to get to his feet and moved to hobble away, but umpire Mathew Nicholls firmly told him he needed to stand on the mark.
“Charlie, you need to stand the mark mate,” Nicholls said.
“You’re not being attended to (by) a trainer so come forward and stand the mark. Thanks mate.”
Cameron didn’t seem too happy but he followed the umpire’s instructions — per the AFL’s strict ‘stand’ rule where players must stand still on the mark and not leave the ‘protected area’.
“Oh that’s harsh, isn’t it,” Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell said in response to the umpire’s instructions.
“You’re not being attended to by a trainer so just forget your ACL snap. Just hobble forward if you can.”
Gerard Healy replied: “I thought it was really good umpiring though. He could have been finicky and paid a 50 metre penalty. But he read the play well.”
Russell said: “It was only a metre for an injured player.”
West Coast Eagles premiership player Will Schofield wrote on X: “Umpire telling Charlie Cameron to man the mark instead of getting off the ground with injury is laughable “Staaaaaaaand Charlie”.”
Thankfully, Cameron was able to play out the game and kicked his only goal in the last quarter.
Jonathan Brown said: “Just looked like he copped a bit of a kick as he was coming across. He just got side swiped. Hopefully it’s just a cork.
“He might have kicked the back of his own leg.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan called the performance “the most amazing and courageous performance I’ve ever seen by any group of players I’ve had anything to do with.”
Fagan added that both McCarthy and Gardiner’s injuries suggested ACLs, which would end their respective seasons.
The injury blows will test the Lions’ depth but the performance was definitely a step in the right direction.
Lions great Jonathan Brown pointed out the Lions now don’t play a team currently in the top eight team until the end June.
Next up, the Lions have the Crows in Adelaide, Tigers in Brisbane, Hawks and Bulldogs in Melbourne and Saints at the Gabba.
Currently 3-5, a good run against those teams could revitalise the Lions’ season as they currently languish in 13th on the ladder, two wins outside the top eight.
Damien Hardwick’s men could not stop the Lions attacking through the corridor as the pressure was lacklustre.
Speaking on Nine’s Footy Furnace, AFL legend Leigh Matthews said the Suns fell well short of the mark.
“They were horrible today, Brisbane absolutely destroyed them,” Matthews said.