NATHAN ‘Nipper’ Gordon thought he was in trouble when coach John Longmire singled him out during a pre-training meeting on Tuesday this week.

Longmire had called all the players into the coaches’ room and told them what they needed to work on at training.

Then he called Nipper up and asked him if he had something to tell the group.

“I thought I was in trouble for something but I tried to keep my cool,’’ Gordon recalled yesterday.

Then Longmire dropped a bombshell that brought a cheer from everyone in the room.

“Horse (Longmire) said, ‘You’re going to play seniors this week’. The room erupted and later they all jumped on me,’’ Gordon laughs.

He went out to training on the SCG on a high. “I was up on my toes all training, the adrenalin was just pumping!’’

Gordon, who was rookie listed by the Swans at the end of 2009 after being the recipient of a NSW scholarship, has earned his senior debut after consistently strong form in the midfield for the reserves.

He will be named in the senior side to play against the Western Bulldogs at Manuka on Saturday, replacing the injured  Kieren Jack, who called Gordon last night to congratulate him.

It’s fitting that Gordon comes in for Jack, as they share a common background, having both grown up in Sydney.

“It’s good to get another one for the Sydney boys!’’ Gordon said.

Gordon, who grew up in Sydney’s north west in Kellyville, began playing at the age of 7, and played all his junior football at the Baulkham Hills Football Club before he progressed to seniors at the East Coast Eagles.

On Tuesday night he lay in bed thinking of all those years he’d spent running around chasing the footy, to get to the point of making his AFL debut.

“I lay awake thinking of all the junior footy I’d played, all the years that dad (Ian) coached me at Baulko,’’ Gordon said.

“I just loved footy and it was my dream to play. We used to always come and watch the Swans and I remember watching the 1996 grand final when I was only six,’’ he recalled.

“My dad, who’s originally from South Australia, got me into footy and coached me from Under 10 to Under 13. As I got older he always told me to keep working hard and don’t worry about what people say, just show them what you can do.’’

It’s fair to say Gordon, 21, did not stand out during his teenage years. He didn’t play for NSW at Under 16 level and only made the squad at Under 18 level.

But Chris Smith, then the Swans’ NSW Talent ID manager (now Talent ID and Operations manager for the QBE Sydney Swans Academy) saw enough in Gordon at the state trials in 2008 to offer him a NSW scholarship with the Swans.

He trained with the Swans in 2008 and 2009, and was rookie listed at the end of that year.

Reserves coach Henry Playfair says Gordon is a great competitor. “His competitiveness and his consistency have been the over-riding things this year,’’ Playfair said.

“He has always been a great runner but his ball use has really improved this year. He’s really versatile and hard, and he loves to crack in at the ball.’’

Gordon also has a great attitude, which came to the fore when he wasn’t selected to play any NAB Cup games this year - one of the few development players who didn’t get picked for at least one pre-season game.

“When I didn’t get to play NAB Cup I was down for a week or two but Stu Maxfield and John Longmire told me to keep my head up, to keep listening and keep attacking the footy and it has paid off,’’ Gordon said.

Since he heard the good news on Tuesday, he has received more sensible advice on how to approach his senior debut on Saturday.

“Pebs (Ryan O’Keefe) told me to keep it basic and if the ball is there to win, go and win it. And Rhyce (Shaw) said to make sure I had fun,’’ Gordon said.

“Now I’ve just got to get out there and do my best and try to get a kick!’’

Everyone at the Club wishes Nipper all the best for his first senior game.

The full team to take on the Western Bulldogs will be named at 5pm today, and posted on the website.