Eric Guthrie signs at Camperdown for 2024 season

Eric Guthrie committed to the club during the week and arrives with an impressive pedigree.

The 26-year-old was joint winner of the Northern Territory Football's highest honour - the Nichols Medal - in 2021-22 while playing for Palmerston.

He was a standout for the club during his three seasons up north, previously starring for Harrow-Balmoral in its Horsham and District league flag in 2019.

The hard-nosed mid, has also played senior football with Hamilton Kangaroos in the HFNL and South West District league side Coleraine, where he played his juniors.

His signing at Camperdown came about through his connections with ruck Will Rowbottom, who has also played with Palmerston.

"I know we've had a pretty good run with getting some of our local guys back but to get a big recruit like Eric is really pleasing for the club and the group," Magpies coach Neville Swayn said.

"We've probably identified that if we could get a bit more depth and an inside mid that would be great and we reckon Eric's going to tick those boxes for us. (We're) very excited.

"All the feedback's been really positive and most importantly too, (he's) a really good bloke as well so hopefully he'll just fit in nicely with our group."

Guthrie joins an already strong midfield group at the Magpies which includes the likes of reigning HFNL best and fairest winner Hamish Sinnott and Cameron Spence, who finished fourth in the 2023 league vote count.

"We were happy with our midfield group as it was but we just thought to try and take that next step with these top sides we probably need to add a little bit more," Swayn said.

"So you look at the two Sinnotts (Hamish and Zach), Spence, Charlie Lucas, Harry Sumner and now with Eric we just feel like we're getting some really good depth through the midfield now."

The Magpies have been busy recruiting this off-season after they narrowly missed out on finals in 2023, finishing sixth with 10 wins.

High-quality former players Matthew Field, Fraser Lucas and Billy Arnold have already rejoined after stints in Queensland while Camperdown junior Paddy Baker has returned after time with Kolora-Noorat in the Warrnambool and District league.

"(I'm) really happy with how we're tracking along," Swayn said.

"Eric will be our only player that's over one point. We're just rapt that guys have come back and we've identified guys that have played with us that have wanted to come back.

"So it's been really pleasing to think we're getting to late October and we're nearly done (recruiting). Whereas last year we were still going at February-March. It just makes it easier to plan our year going forward now that we know the list, we know what we've got to work with and we can really start to fine-tune what we've got to do."

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