Cameron Rayner Biography

Brisbane is trialling a move of playing Cam Rayner in defence for 2023.

"He's a great team man and at under-16s he was an All-Australian as a half-back flanker, so he's actually got experience playing down there," Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said.

"If you play down back, you learn a lot of things about being a forward. You learn as a backman what really challenges you, so it's a good lesson in reverse for Cam."

Cam Rayner will miss Brisbane's elimination final against Richmond after his rough conduct charge for a dangerous tackle on Melbourne's Ben Brown was upheld at the Tribunal.

Rayner unsuccessfully argued his tackle, that left the Demon with a bloody nose, was reasonable, and that impact should have been graded as low.

The Brisbane Lions will have to kick off their 2022 finals campaign without Cam Rayner and Noah Answerth after the two were suspended for one match for a dangerous tackle and striking respectively.

Brisbane expects Cam Rayner to be available for the start of pre-season as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL.

"Cam has had the whole season to get his knee right and basically put in a pre-season. He's been able to really work on the running side of his game which is something that he lacked a little bit," Lions football manager Danny Daly said.

Cam Rayner is out for the 2021 season after scans confirmed a ruptured ACL. Rayner suffered the injury in the second quarter of Brisbane's AAMI Community Series win over Gold Coast.

Cam Rayner has trimmed down during the off-season after taking a more disciplined approach to his diet.

"I'd say me and Witho (housemate Alex Witherden) have matured a lot together, we're not [ordering] Uber Eats every night, we're cooking dinners. I've probably just trimmed off the puppy fat, you could say," he said.

"When I went back the first year, I probably wasn't doing the running to the best of my ability, kind of just doing it for the sake of doing it. Last year I was probably chasing all pre-season. I've really set myself up to have a good crack this time."

Rayner admits to being disappointed with his form in 2019 where he was almost dropped at one stage.

"Last year I was disappointed with how I went and the thing I was disappointed with is knowing I could go out there and do better," he said.

"It wasn't deflating, but you sit back and wonder why things didn't happen. I realised I hadn't been putting my best foot forward.

"I want to go from a player that's out there to help a team and chip in, to someone that can really impact the game and help my teammates out. I want to take that next step."

Cam Rayner says he is seeing the benefits of another pre-season as he enters his second year of senior football.

"This year I feel as fit as I've been and (I'm) getting to contests a little bit easier and still having a little bit left in the tank, which I never really felt in my junior career," Rayner said.

"I guess that's what the pre-seasons do for you, but it's exciting. If I get a couple more pre-seasons under my belt maybe I'll be a full-time midfielder – but we'll just see what happens."

No.1 pick Cam Rayner had shown glimpses of his talent in the first half of the season, but after a 10-disposal outing against GWS in round 14, was almost axed.

Since then, the 18-year-old has exploded, earning a Rising Star nomination with 19 touches and two goals against Fremantle, adding 15 and a goal against Carlton and then arguably his best outing of the season against Hawthorn on Saturday with three goals among 19 disposals.

"I think that's the kick up the butt I needed just to get me going again," Rayner said of his near-axing from the side.

"I was probably getting a little complacent. Since then I've put my head down and kept working, chipping away at little things.

"I feel the last month I've taken a big step forward in my footy and it's a credit to the coaches who have a lot of trust in me."

Cameron Rayner earns the round 15 AFL Rising Star nomination after collecting 19 disposals (11 contested), two goals, six score involvements, five tackles and four inside 50s.

"I do feel a little bit like you have to (get one as the No.1 pick), when you see other guys drafted around you doing it," Rayner said about his Rising Star nomination.

"But at the end of the day, I'm just out there playing my footy and I've been enjoying it and that's the main thing."

Cameron Rayner makes his AFL debut for Brisbane at Docklands Stadium with 8 disposals (5 kicks and 3 handballs), 2 marks, a tackle and a goal in a 25-point loss to St Kilda.

No.1 draft pick Cameron Rayner extends his contract with Brisbane by a further to years and will remain at the club until the end of 2021.

"I’ll be up in Brisbane for four years now which is very exciting," Rayner said.

"The team’s looking like it’s going in the right direction and I want to be a part of that.

"There is just so much young talent here."

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says he is impressed with what he's seen from No.1 draft pick Cam Rayner so far.

"It's been well documented from his 2km time trial that he's not the world's best endurance runner, but I'll tell you what, when the balls are out, no-one tries harder or competes harder," Fagan said.

"He's made a good impression. He's a humble young bloke, loves his footy, wants to be good, and is pretty level-headed."

No. 1 draft pick Cam Rayner is excited to begin his AFL career with the Lions.

"It's a bit surreal walking into an AFL club, but all the boys have been really good. It's exciting and I can't wait to get stuck into it," Rayner said.

"The last couple of days have been a whirlwind and a little bit strange, but now that we're here and getting into training and meeting everyone it's become more of a reality and it's exciting."

Cameron Rayner is the No.1 pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft after becoming the first player to be selected by the Brisbane Lions.

"He can go forward, play in the midfield and his stoppage clearance work is outstanding. And he's a great character who we know will work really hard," Brisbane football manager David Noble said of Rayner.

No.1 draft hopeful Cameron Rayner has no qualms about moving interstate to begin his football career if that’s the way it unfolds on November 24.

"I feel if I was to go to a club you'd want to get the best out of the club and the best out of the player," he said.

"I've been wanting to play footy since I was a little kid so I would move halfway across the world to play."