The 18-year-old from Sunbury was taken by the Cats at pick No. 23 in Thursday night’s AFL National Draft.
After admitting earlier this year he did not barrack for any particular team, the 186cm defender said he was rapt to be headed for Skilled Stadium.
“I was just watching (the draft) at home on the TV and waiting and hoping my name would be read out,” he said.
“I couldn’t think of a better club to go.”
He said he was particularly pleased to be staying in Victoria.
“I think mum’s the happiest out of all of us,” he said. “I’m rapt to be staying close to home and it would have been difficult to leave to go interstate.”
Guthrie’s mother, Suzanne, was equally thrilled her son would be staying in Victoria, close to his three brothers, aged 20, 14 and 12.
“It’s a real bonus,” she said.
“Cameron’s a real family person and we’re a close-knit family so it’s fantastic, (although) he would have been happy to be drafted anywhere.”
It capped a year of accolades for Guthrie, who claimed the Calder Cannon’s best-and-fairest award after a dominant season and was named in the TAC Cup team of the year.
He played five matches for Victoria Metro in this year’s AFL national championships, displaying excellent decision-making skills.
As a 16-year-old, he played three TAC Cup matches for the Cannons in 2008 and was part of the club’s 2009 premiership team as a bottom-aged player.
This year, he made it back-to-back premiership victories with the Cannons.