Cameron Bruce

Infobox afl player | firstname = Cameron
lastname = Bruce


birthdate = Birth date and age|1979|9|30|df=y
birthplace =
originalteam = MHSOB, (VAFA)
dead = alive
heightweight = 190cm / 85kg
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = Round 1, 8 March 2000
debutteam = Melbourne
debutopponent = Richmond
debutstadium = Melbourne Cricket Ground
playingteams = Melbourne (2000-)

184 games, 195 goals
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = 2008
careerhighlights =

*AFL Rising Star nominee 2000
*International Rules series 2002, 2004
*Melbourne Best & Fairest 2008
*Demons Leadership Group 2007
*Demons Co-Captain 2008 (from Rd. 6)

Cameron Bruce (born 30 September 1979) [ [http://www.melbournefc.com.au/TheClub/Players/Playerprofiles/tabid/8357/Default.aspx?playerid=14342&typeid=2 Player profiles - Official AFL Website of the Melbourne Football Club ] ] is a professional Australian rules football player, currently playing for the Melbourne Demons. He attended Melbourne High School and played for Melbourne High School Old Boys following his schooling. It was from MHSOB that he was drafted in 1999, at the relatively older age of 20. He was Melbourne's last selection in that year's draft, taken as the club's sixth pick, and 64th overall, behind current team-mates Brad Green, Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan. [ [http://www.footy.com.au/dags/2000/draftoct1999.html October 1999 Draft Results] ]

Early days at Melbourne

At 21, and after one year in Melbourne's Junior Development Squad, he made his debut for the Demon's senior side against Richmond in Round 1 of the 2000 season, kicking a goal with his first kick in AFL football. He played in Melbourne's impressive run to the Grand Final, but had to withdraw from the final match of the season due to injury. [Burgan, M. [http://www.melbournefc.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7415/Default.aspx?newsId=49267 David Neitz – the leader] , "MelbourneFC.com.au", August 17, 2007, accessed September 3, 2008.] Given the number 32 guernsey, he quickly adapted to AFL football and was runner-up to David Neitz in the club's best-and-fairest in 2002. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/19/1047749824946.html The Age - Team countdown - Melbourne] ]

Developing his game

Bruce developed his game as a midfielder, but in recent years he has been used in attack, across half-back and also as a tagger - the latter role seen notably through his tagging of high-profile players such as James Hird, Chris Judd, Adam Goodes and Nathan Buckley. [http://www.sportsaustralia.com/articles/news.php?id=958 SportsAustralia.com - AFL 2007 Season Preview] ] Because of his ability to adapt to new positions and roles within the side, versatility is often highlighted as one of his main strengths, [ [http://melbournefc.com.au/TheClub/Players/Playerprofiles/tabid/8357/playerId/14342/teamId/31/typeId/2/Default.aspx Player Profiles - Melbourne FC - Cameron Bruce] ] and he has been regarded as the most versatile player in the league at various stages throughout his career. [ [http://navsports.com/news.php?news_id=230 NavSports - AFL 2007 Preview] ] He enjoyed a solid run of form in 2004, which he carried through to the 2005 season - enjoying a particularly fruitful period early in the season - before suffering a serious shoulder injury sustained from a heavy tackle which ended his season prematurely. [ [http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/forum/archive/index.php/t-679.html AFL to tackle hidden joint toll - Chip le Grand] ]

Recent seasons

In 2006, he played a pivotal role in Melbourne's eight-game winning run, which came on the back of losing their first three matches of the season. He kicked the winning goal against Sydney in round 4 and received 10 Brownlow votes throughout the season, his most in a season to date. [ [http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-melbourne-demons--cameron-bruce Footy Wire: AFL Statistics - Cameron Bruce career stats] ] He finished second in the club's best-and-fairest and had one of his more consistent seasons - he was one of only two players to average more than 22 disposals and kick more than 20 goals for the season. (The other was Chris Judd.) [ [http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/clubs/melbourne/90/cameron-bruce/200052 AFL 2007 - Cameron Burce, Yahoo!7 Sports] ] The 2007 season was hugely disappointing for Melbourne, where they were unable to convert narrow losses in to wins and being outclassed on other occasions. Bruce celebrated his 150-game milestone in Round 4, and averaged 24 possessions for the season. He achieved a career-high of 35 possessions against the Kangaroos in Round 9, but his goal tally was well down on previous seasons, kicking just nine majors for the season. [ [http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pp-melbourne-demons--cameron-bruce Cameron Bruce AFL Profile - Footy Wire: AFL Statistics] ] His preparations for the 2008 season were hampered by injuries suffered in pre-season, but he was selected in Round 1 and played in the first fourteen matches of the season for Melbourne. New Demons coach Dean Bailey used Bruce chiefly in defence in the early stages of the season, where he picked up Brad Johnson and Cameron Mooney among others. Bailey handed Bruce a more attacking role during the middle of the season, generally playing either off half-back as a rebounding defender, or on the wing. Bruce kicked two goals in all three of Melbourne's wins for the season. He played in all 22 of Melbourne's matches for the season and averaged more than 24 disposals per game. [ [http://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=1117 Cameron Bruce 2008 AFL Statistics - FinalSiren.com] ] He won Melbourne's best-and-fairest for the season, polling 75 votes - 15 more than second-place Brock McLean.Holmesby, L. [http://www.melbournefc.com.au/tabid/7415/Default.aspx?newsid=68567 Bruce wins best and fairest] , "MelbourneFC.com.au", October 2, 2008, accessed October 3, 2008.]

He is known by fans of "The NRL Footy Show" for doing "That's Gold!" after scoring a goal against Collingwood in the traditional Queen's Birthday fixture in 2005. Bruce is often nicknamed "Cameron "The" Bruce", particularly by commentator Rex Hunt, a reference to the famous Scottish warrior Robert the Bruce.

References

External links

*
*