There’s a biblical verse saying “whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all”. Few men in the AFL have lived that verse like retiring Geelong skipper Cameron Ling. After 246 uncompromising games, Ling left footy as the humble leader of the most dominant side since the Hawks of the late '80s.
With the red mane of a lion and a heart to match, Ling made a name for himself as arguably the game’s best tagger. While stars like Selwood, Bartel and previously Ablett chalked up possessions at will and Podsiadly, Johnson and Mooney kicked the goals, it fell to Ling to focus on the other side’s best player. It’s a far from glamorous job, trekking the kilometres alongside the nation’s best and fittest, often being found at the bottom of a pack. Like a full-back, your game is judged on the statistics of someone else. A success is when someone else isn’t noticed.
Off the field the media took a liking to the left-footer. On Before The Game and for any TV or radio station after one, Ling smiled, copped the good-natured flack over his flaming hair and never took himself too seriously. As his comments this week indicate, Ling was happy just to be playing alongside some of those who will be remembered amongst the Cats’ greatest. “It’s just an honour to work next to you guys. I’m so lucky to be part of this group,” the skipper said in the hours after his latest premiership.
Even with the cup in his hands, with Ling it never seemed to be about him. For the life-long local, teammates, club and city seemed to come first.
If one is only as good as his last game, Ling can move on in life mighty pleased. Five days after Dane Swan won the Brownlow medal with the most votes in the history of the 3,2,1 system, Ling blanketed him. His close tagging was typefied by a first-half broken nose, after he banged his head into the back of Swan’s.
As ABC Radio’s Mark McClure said, if you matched the two up in a foot race Ling would get beaten my 50 metres over a 100. “But put a football in there and it’s a whole different story,” he said.
Both players ended up with 20 possessions. For a tagger, that means your job is done. For Ling, however, particular satisfaction can come from the fact that when the game and season was on the line in the final quarter, he did more than stop an opponent. He had 6 possessions, the Brownlow medallist just one.
While Bartel and Johnson kicked goals from everywhere to lead the Cats to victory, Ling, fittingly, pounced on a spillage in the last minutes to kick his first and the game’s final goal.
He will himself go down in history, joining players like Hird, Voss, Judd and his mate Tom Harley as a premiership captain.
But it will be for his determination and selflessness, as the player who gave up the chance for individual glory each week for the good of the side, that Ling the player will be remembered. With three premiership medals his to keep, there’s no doubt where this servant finished.
By Matthew Raggatt
With the red mane of a lion and a heart to match, Ling made a name for himself as arguably the game’s best tagger. While stars like Selwood, Bartel and previously Ablett chalked up possessions at will and Podsiadly, Johnson and Mooney kicked the goals, it fell to Ling to focus on the other side’s best player. It’s a far from glamorous job, trekking the kilometres alongside the nation’s best and fittest, often being found at the bottom of a pack. Like a full-back, your game is judged on the statistics of someone else. A success is when someone else isn’t noticed.
Off the field the media took a liking to the left-footer. On Before The Game and for any TV or radio station after one, Ling smiled, copped the good-natured flack over his flaming hair and never took himself too seriously. As his comments this week indicate, Ling was happy just to be playing alongside some of those who will be remembered amongst the Cats’ greatest. “It’s just an honour to work next to you guys. I’m so lucky to be part of this group,” the skipper said in the hours after his latest premiership.
Even with the cup in his hands, with Ling it never seemed to be about him. For the life-long local, teammates, club and city seemed to come first.
If one is only as good as his last game, Ling can move on in life mighty pleased. Five days after Dane Swan won the Brownlow medal with the most votes in the history of the 3,2,1 system, Ling blanketed him. His close tagging was typefied by a first-half broken nose, after he banged his head into the back of Swan’s.
As ABC Radio’s Mark McClure said, if you matched the two up in a foot race Ling would get beaten my 50 metres over a 100. “But put a football in there and it’s a whole different story,” he said.
Both players ended up with 20 possessions. For a tagger, that means your job is done. For Ling, however, particular satisfaction can come from the fact that when the game and season was on the line in the final quarter, he did more than stop an opponent. He had 6 possessions, the Brownlow medallist just one.
While Bartel and Johnson kicked goals from everywhere to lead the Cats to victory, Ling, fittingly, pounced on a spillage in the last minutes to kick his first and the game’s final goal.
He will himself go down in history, joining players like Hird, Voss, Judd and his mate Tom Harley as a premiership captain.
But it will be for his determination and selflessness, as the player who gave up the chance for individual glory each week for the good of the side, that Ling the player will be remembered. With three premiership medals his to keep, there’s no doubt where this servant finished.
By Matthew Raggatt
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