Prior to the SUNS' main training session on Wednesday morning, coach Guy McKenna gathered his squad to announce that Jack Martin and Sean Lemmens would play their first games against the Tigers.
Cameron watched as McKenna and captain Gary Ablett presented the pair of teenagers with their playing guernseys.
After playing all three pre-season matches, the 19-year-old defender was told he would have to prove his fitness and train strongly to crack into the final 22.
Cameron shook off the most minor of calf niggles and convinced McKenna and the coaching staff he was ready to go.
"When I found out I wasn't (selected), I gave it my all and I got picked," Cameron said.
"I was staying back late and catching up on some edits with (defensive coach) Dean Solomon and he said 'Clay, there's been a change-up in the team, you're in. Congratulations'.
"I didn't know what was going on. He walked past me before and gave me nothing and next time I was in.
"I'm pretty excited."
Cameron, who stands 190cm, has been a revelation during the pre-season, showing his ability to play on both tall and small forwards with a hunger for one-on-one contests.
Hailing from Brisbane, the AFL/AIS Academy graduate said he was straight on the phone to his parents.
"Mum was screaming and carrying on like a pork chop," he said.
"Dad's more measured. He was proud of me, but mum was over the top."
While the path of West Australian prodigy Martin has been well documented over the pre-season, South Australian Lemmens has also bolted into the team.
The half-back was taken at no.27 in last year's NAB AFL Draft and, like Cameron, has impressed in each practice match.
He was not expecting to make such a quick impact, but said improving his fitness had given him the confidence to mix it at the top level.
"Coming from being drafted this year I thought it (round one selection) might be out of reach, but I've done everything within my power to put my hand up and I was lucky enough the coaches thought I was ready to go," he said.
Martin has had to bide his time for 12 months after being taken by the Suns at the end of the 2012 season via the GWS 17-year-old mini-draft.
He has followed in the footsteps of Jaeger O'Meara who stormed the AFL last season to win the NAB Rising Star award.
"I've spoken to Jaeger a fair bit. Obviously he went through the same thing 12 months ago," Martin said.
"The main advice he's given me is to 'enjoy your football, don't think about it too much. If you have a bad game, that's the beauty of our game, we've got next week to back it up'.
"I'm just really excited for the opportunity."
