Evergeen and red: Yileen savouring surprise call up

While Friday night's match between the Rabbitohs and Roosters will be lacking the presence of big-name NRL players, for Yileen Gordon it will be a special full circle moment for him and his beloved South Sydney club. 

The man affectionately known as ‘Buddy’ played the first of his 34 top-flight games as a Rabbitoh way back in 2005, starting at centre in a 21-all draw with the Bulldogs.

Having only been re-admitted to the competition three seasons earlier, the club was struggling at the time and had just collected their second-straight wooden spoon, with the hope and eventual improvement that accompanied Russell Crowe's takeover still a year away. 

Now, nearly 20 years on, with the Bunnies a regular title contender and currently preparing to headline the kick-off of the new Telstra Premiership season as part of the historic double-header in Las Vegas, 36-year-old Gordon will run out in a Rabbitohs NRL jersey again in the Pre-Season Challenge. 

Having last played in the NRL in 2011, Gordon's call up comes on the back of South Sydney having already departed for the USA ahead of their March 3 clash with the Sea Eagles, with the Roosters in the same situation as they prepare to face the Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. 

"I have to sort of stop and think about how long it's been. A lot of the young guys I'll play with on Friday night, they were babies or not even born yet when I made my debut!" Gordon told NRL.com.  

"It [the club] has changed a lot since then. It's been phenomenal and we're now one of the best run clubs in the NRL.

"The club is in a great spot at the moment. 

"It's from our wildest dreams that the club is where it is at now, going on the trips to play overseas [in Vegas]. It's a credit to all of the people involved."

While he spent two seasons at the Bulldogs and one at the Panthers at the end of his career, Waterloo-born Gordon is a Rabbitoh through and through.

In addition to being a key member of the club's reserve-grade side, which last year included helping them win both the NSW Cup and NRL State Championship titles, Gordon spends his days working as a youth mentor for their charity arm Souths Cares.

It comes as no surprise then that the one-time Indigenous All Star considers it an honour to be called up to the squad again, irrespective of the names missing from both team sheets. 

It's been a massive part of my life. I grew up here, I am very much a Souths boy, so to come back full circle and be here playing and working here at the club means a lot.

Yileen Gordon

"Anytime you put that jersey on it’s very special. Going out and representing the club, my family, all the fans and all the history.

"We’re the oldest, loudest and proudest club in the NRL, so I don’t take it lightly."

Gordon joins his teammate Braidon Burns and Roosters prop Dylan Napa as the only players taking part in the clash who have NRL experience, with the remainder of the two squads made up of exciting new talent including CJ Mundine – son of Indigenous boxing great Anthony – and Alex Young, who is the older brother of Roosters flyer Dominic.