The AFL has launched an investigation into the accused racial abuse of Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron.
An allegation on social media that a Collingwood fan in attendance vilified the proud Lardil and Waanyi man at the Docklands on Friday night sparked the latest exhaustive investigation to stamp out racism in the game.
Cameron did not hear the racial slurs in the crowd, but a spectator took a photo of the accused offender and posted it online with a caption outlining the abuse.
Brisbane notified Cameron the next day, on Saturday, following the 24-point win, and the club is said to be counselling the 29-year-old.
Others at the top-of-table clash are believed to have notified nearby security.
Collingwood has been working and cooperating with the AFL to find the culprit and plans to ensure he was not a club member or will be banned in the future from joining.
It is not the first time that a resilient Cameron has been the centre of ongoing abuse.
Earlier this year at the Gabba, another Collingwood supporter had been the subject of racial remarks.
The Lions handed the matter over to the AFL Integrity Unit.
The accused spectator was never found, which Brisbane coach Chris Fagan feared in a post-match press conference.
One-time three-time premiership coach and Brisbane club director, Leigh Matthews, expressed concern for Cameron constantly attracting racial vilification.
"He's had the ability to be able to cope with a fair bit of abuse over the years," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Saturday.
"He probably does draw abuse more than most and that partly because he just kicks a lot of goals.
"(Charlie's) an extraordinary player on the field, but that's the problem."
Cameron has been arguably the premier small forward in the AFL in recent seasons.
The former Adelaide recruit has booted 51 goals in 22 matches this year after 54 goals in 25 matches last year and 55 in 24 in 2021.
Counting down to at least three matches left in Brisbane's 2023 campaign, the goalsneak is on track surpass his career-best 57 goals in 2019.
The controversy against this season's competition pacesetters has marred yet another leading performance that has included individual hauls of seven and six goals.
Cameron led the Lions' attack with four goals against a stuttering Magpies, while Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher added another three in the 19.10 124 to 15.10 100 victory.
He made the most of his eight disposals that excluded his two tackles, but it was what Cameron did off the ball that proved most dangerous.
Leg speed running back towards goal and creating holes in the Collingwood defence had coach Craig McRae concerned all night.
That extended to his willingness to back into marking contests at full pace.
Cameron, at one stage, during the early moments of the second term flew right across the front of a one-on-one contest to spectacularly pull down the mark while Oleg Markov was left lagging metres behind.
