Senior Cam Rayner (2017-)

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The day Brisbane’s Cam Rayner arrived as a star of the future

Cam Rayner’s junior coaches always knew about his potential but one performance on the biggest stage stands out above them all. They relive that game from 2015.

Cam Rayner and grand finals are a match made in heaven.

The last time the Brisbane star played in one, he wrote his name into the history books for Essendon Doutta Stars with eight goals.

Five of those came in the final quarter of the Essendon District Football League under-18 division one grand final back in 2015.

Rayner was playing against opponents three years older than him but he still managed to spark a sensational turnaround against Craigieburn.

He won the best on ground medal making it two in the space of a matter of weeks after winning the same award just weeks earlier in the under-16 decider.

The under-18 game was the only time he played under coach Craig Hicks for the season and the last time he pulled on the Stars jumper.

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“He just took the game by the scruff of the neck,” Hicks recalled.

“We started him up forward early but then threw him around the footy when we couldn’t get our hands on it. Once we eventually settled, Cam went forward again and everything he touched turned to gold.

“He kicked one of his goals from about 50m on the run, it was sensational. There was some debate about him playing but we made the right decision.

“I first saw him playing for the EDFL’s interleague side a couple of years earlier when he was 15, he had a really good goal sense.

“I’ve been coaching for 20 years and when you see someone of his ability, you just know they’re special.

“There was some talk that he could have played a game in our senior side, I think he would have done very well if he did.”

The 2015 season was the only year Rayner spent in the Doutta Stars program, after learning much of his craft with Hillside.

But the change of clubs paid huge dividends for a teenager who had already represented Vic Metro and earned All-Australian selection at the under-15 national titles a year earlier.

Geoff Maddern, the coach of Doutta Stars’ under-16 premiership winning side, recalled Rayner’s dominant season.

He booted 46 goals from 15 games on his way to the division one league best and fairest in a team that also included now Richmond star Noah Balta.

Rayner was best on ground in the decider despite being yellow carded after a clash with a Keilor opponent.

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“I had him pegged as a top-five pick halfway through that season, I remember saying to his dad, John, who I had coached against for many years that he was going to play AFL,” Maddern said.

“Having been involved with the EDFL representative program for a long time, I’ve worked with a lot of talented players but I can say Cam is the best I’ve ever seen.

“I remember he was looking at changing clubs and came down for a training session and he eventually decided to hang around.

“He had one with Keilor as well, who we beat in the grand final, so it worked out for us.”

While he might be a powerful and dominant figure on the footy field, Rayner’s former coaches said he couldn’t be any different off it.

“He remains a real gentleman,” Maddern said.

“He was loved and respected from the moment he arrived at our footy club. There was no ego attached to him, he just wanted to play.”

Even when the time came for Rayner to take his talents to the next level in the TAC Cup, now the Coates Talent League, he did what he could for his premiership teammates.

e never played another game for Doutta Stars again.

“He would come and run water, doing everything he could to help out,” Hicks said.

“Cam is a very respectful person, that’s one thing that has never changed.”
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We'd win a couple of flags over the next three to four years if this man got fit enough to average 20 disposals a game. He was exactly what we needed more of in the middle yesterday, but obviously doesn't have the tank sadly.

Still love him as a player, but a 15 disposal and 1 goal a game player is a role player. That's not someone you can rely on in big games to make an impact.
 

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Dom PC said:
We'd win a couple of flags over the next three to four years if this man got fit enough to average 20 disposals a game. He was exactly what we needed more of in the middle yesterday, but obviously doesn't have the tank sadly.

Still love him as a player, but a 15 disposal and 1 goal a game player is a role player. That's not someone you can rely on in big games to make an impact.
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Hoping the penny drops for him like it did for say a Petracca or Walters. Has all the tools to be something really special but is at risk of becoming a ‘coulda been’.
 
He needs to work hard over the coming off season as he has done in previous ones, but the upside trend is continuing since he has come back from his knee.

Yes he hasn’t exploded into a consistent A grade player. But if the trend continues I think it could come soon. Lots of hard work in between now and then for Cam though.
 
I just don't think he's a smart footballer. Doesn’t know how to get cheap footy, doesn’t know when to dish it off or when to go alone, doesn’t use the ball well, chokes set shots consistently

I think de Goey, Martin and Greene matured as footballers (and people) and this was as important to them taking the next step as it was getting their body right
 
Nathan Barley said:
I just don't think he's a smart footballer. Doesn’t know how to get cheap footy, doesn’t know when to dish it off or when to go alone, doesn’t use the ball well, chokes set shots consistently

I think de Goey, Martin and Greene matured as footballers (and people) and this was as important to them taking the next step as it was getting their body right
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To Cam's credit (as far as I know) he hasn't had to 'mature' as a person, otherwise known as stopping doing crimes (not including Dusty as he hasn't pled guilty to anything I'm aware of).
 
I was seated on the wing when on two occasions he just dumped kicked it out of that half back area straight down to 2-3 Pies. Literally blew my mind that he lacked the awareness to see what was in front of him. You just can’t be making such mistakes in any game let alone a GF and it’s ridiculous to think that you’ll get an opportunity to rectify such mistakes in a GF because it just may never come around again and that poor performance is what you’ll live with forever and what many Lions fans will remember. Not good.
 
Unlikely duo fire up forward in Lions' intraclub

Cam Rayner excelled, spending a majority of his time in the midfield, while Zac Bailey was also at his elusive best around the contest.
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Brisbane Lions Announce Updated Leadership Group

The Brisbane Lions have also selected a nine-person leadership group for the 2024 season.

Rounding out the group is Charlie Cameron, Cam Rayner, Brandon Starcevich, Jarrod Berry and Oscar McInerney.
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Why former No.1 pick is ready for new Lions role

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IS THIS the season Cam Rayner plays a more prominent role in Brisbane's midfield?

On the eve of their Opening Round match against Carlton at the Gabba, Lions coach Chris Fagan has hinted the No.1 pick from the 2017 draft might be about to spend a larger chunk of minutes onball.

Since arriving at Brisbane over six years ago, Rayner has been projected as a powerhouse midfielder that could change games.

However, with a settled rotation close to the contest, the 24-year-old has spent a majority of his 113 games playing as a medium-sized forward.

Twelve months ago he was deployed at half-back to start the season, before that plan was shelved following a match-winning four-goal haul against Collingwood on Easter Thursday.

However, with his running capacity now greatly improved, Rayner is ready for the jump.

“He's playing a bit more midfield time and we'll roll with that," Fagan said.

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"He's got better endurance now. He's still not an endurance beast, but he's worked on that enormously, enough to be able to play good minutes in the midfield, which is all that's required.

"His value is his power around the stoppages and the things he can do there.

"We're really pleased with how he's developed."

Rayner was set to increase his midfield time in 2021 before rupturing his ACL in the pre-season, and has certainly been used there in small bursts the past two seasons.

"I'm not going to say I'm the best runner, but if I can bridge the gap to what it's been recently, it's something I want to work on," Rayner said.

"I feel fitter and stronger in the (pre-season) games this year than I have, so I guess that's a plus."

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Rayner will likely still spend a good chunk of time in Brisbane's potent forward 50, but with Darcy Gardiner expected to fulfill a role alongside Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood, Fagan now has more flexibility with Rayner.

"We've been trying to build a little versatility in our team," Fagan said.

"You never know in a game when you might need to flip somebody over."
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Eight things we learned: Fresh faces breathe life into Crows

4) Rayner thrives in the middle

In Brisbane's important win over Melbourne on Thursday night, it was Cam Rayner setting the tone through the middle of the ground. In the first quarter alone, Rayner gathered 12 disposals, six clearances and seven inside 50s, and proved crucial in giving his side confidence early in the game. As the game wore on, the balance between he and his fellow midfielders in Josh Dunkley and Lachie Neale became more evident, but that early dominance from Rayner was key in taking away Melbourne's main asset – its onball brigade of Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, and Clayton Oliver. Rayner finished the game with 10 inside 50s from 25 disposals, and proved his value roaming higher up the ground for longer periods of time. – Gemma Bastiani
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Brisbane vice-captain Josh Dunkley calls on Cam Rayner to produce first-class midfield performances regularly

Lions star Josh Dunkley has challenged Cam Rayner to deliver consistently strong midfield performances to cement his spot in Brisbane’s engine room.

The versatile Rayner was outstanding last Thursday night in Brisbane’s 22-point win over Melbourne with a midfield effort that included 25 disposals, nine of which were clearances.

Rayner’s MCG display raised his hopes of being shifted more often from the forwards to Brisbane’s star-studded midfield.

However, Dunkley said Rayner had to produce similar form regularly during his midfield spells for the positional switch to occur more regularly.

“It’s pretty special what he can do as a player,” the Lions vice-captain said ahead of Brisbane’s battle with the undefeated Geelong at the Gabba on Saturday night.

“Consistency and all that comes into it now for him, and if he wants to get more midfield time, we want to see those behaviours more often.

“It’s great that he could start like that (against Melbourne) and show us what he’s capable of.

“A game like (that) will go a long way to helping him with his confidence levels, and knowing that he can do it against the best is going to be real important.

“When he gets his chance (in the midfield), I’m sure he will take it like he did (against Melbourne) and we look forward to getting him in there more.”
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Lions ready to recapture their best

Cam Rayner says he and his misfiring Brisbane forward line teammates need to get back to basics to recapture their best form against Gold Coast on Sunday night.

Rayner was one of many Lions roundly criticised following last week's 54-point loss to Greater Western Sydney, with Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood and Charlie Cameron also questioned for their effort.

Just three matches ago, Rayner played one of the best games of his career in a powerful win over Melbourne at the MCG. That night he gathered 25 disposals, and has racked up 23 (with two goals) in the subsequent fortnight.

"It's hard for me to come out and say I can play like that every week, the AFL is hard," Rayner said prior to Brisbane's main training session on Thursday morning.

"The hardest thing to find is consistency.

"The thing I want to focus on is … doing the things I can do consistently without the ball, and that's probably the thing that's let me down the last couple of weeks.

"I want to make sure I tidy that up."

Brisbane's forward line has had trouble converting its opportunities, ranked 18th for goals per inside 50 and also ranked 18th for shot at goal accuracy.

They are also one of the worst teams in the competition, 15th, for contested ball differential inside 50.

Rayner put the onus on himself to apply more defensive pressure and stand up in "moments".

"We can't shy away from the fact we've had opportunities to kick goals and missed them at important times," he said.

"In the AFL, momentum is such a big thing, and if you lose that, it can get away from you pretty quickly."

Daniher missed Thursday's session with illness, but the club is in no doubt he'll line up against the Suns.

Rayner said the Lions expected nothing out of the ordinary from their under-fire forwards.

"I know this is pretty simple, but I'm expecting them to come out and play their role and that's what we haven't been doing recently and that's why we've been a little bit below par.

"We don't expect Charlie and Eric and Joe to come out and kick five goals every week because … we can't expect that from anyone.

"It's a team game, we need to make sure we get our roles filled and if we get our roles filled as a team that should help those blokes play better up forward."
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