Jack Gunston's career looked done and dusted as he returned to Hawthorn following a one-year stint at Brisbane.
The now-34-year-old key forward booted 22 goals from 17 games at the Lions, before returning to the Hawks and kicking 29 goals from 18 games in 2024.
Gunston had previously played as a high roaming centre-half forward, but early in the 2025 season Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell started playing the veteran as a deep target - barely leaving his own 50m arc.
While the move helped prolong Gunston's life as a footballer, the on-field rewards were immediate as he kicked 73 goals for the season and won his second All-Australian blazer.
In the same role this year, Gunston's red-hot form and influence has continued as he has kicked 16 goals from four games to sit second in the Coleman Medal.
So given the success of the switch by Mitchell and Gunston, could Geelong coach Chris Scott and his star forward Jeremy Cameron copy the move?
Declaring that Cameron is in need of help to keep his career going is a massive and too early call given he won the Coleman Medal last year with 83 goals, the biggest tally since Brendan Fevola's 86 at Carlton in 2009.
But if the Cats and 33-year-old Cameron want to keep his effectiveness and career going strong, simplifying his role to a deep inside 50 target like Gunston's could be the move.
Cameron, who broke his arm during last year's grand final loss against Brisbane, struggled to get on the park during pre-season and his performances have been impacted to start 2026.
The gun Cat, who has 740 goals across 283 games to his name, has kicked 4.8 across his three matches this season and has been well off the mark of his usual high standards.
His partner in crime up forward, the towering 203cm Shannon Neale, has stepped up to the plate during the first four rounds, kicking 10 goals as he continues to grow as a genuine threat in attack.
Cameron's influence when in full flight up the ground is indisputable, as he loses his opponent while helping out in defence or in the guts, before charging back to goal a free man.
It would be a bold call to change Cameron's role that drastically, and the alarm bells aren't yet ringing for Scott, but if the five-time All-Australian can't get his groove back quick, Geelong might have to concede and follow arch rivals Hawthorn in how to keep their most dangerous asset at his lethal best.
