NATHAN Gordon was lying on the massage table last week when he received a phone call from Sydney Swans development coach, Stuart Dew.

“I thought he was going to rouse on me,’’ recalls Gordon.

Far from it. Dew came into the physio room and gave Gordon, 19, the news that he was to be elevated from the Sydney Swans rookie list to the senior list.

“I was really shocked, but very happy,’’ Gordon says.

“I just didn’t expect it to happen now. I thought maybe if I finished the year off well and had a meeting with the coaches at the end of the year, I might get rookied again or possibly get on the senior list, but I didn’t expect it would happen this early.’’

Gordon’s elevation is a great story of reward for effort.

Raised in Sydney, he played all his junior football at Baulkham Hills Football Club in the north-west of the city.

He wasn’t a standout junior. He didn’t play for the NSW Under 16 team, and was only on the fringes of the Under 18 state team. But the Swans NSW elite talent identification manager, Chris Smith, saw a diamond in the rough.

The Club gave Gordon an AFL scholarship in May 2008, and he was the recipient of the Geoff Curran Scholarship in May 2009 -  which allowed him to train full-time and play with the Swans reserves during those two seasons. He impressed enough to be given a rookie contract at the end of 2009.

During the last pre-season Gordon was always near the front in the 3km time trials, and has used that running ability in games this year. He has played in the midfield for the Swans reserves and been named among the best almost every week.

Now, the reward has come. He was elevated to the senior list and named as an emergency for the Round 19 game against Hawthorn.

“I’m just trying to do what my coaches ask of me,’’ Gordon said. “The coaches always say play to your strengths, run hard and go after the footry, so that’s my focus every game.

“I was excited to be elevated and named as an emergency, but I know I’ve still got a lot to learn.’’

Coach Paul Roos said Gordon had done everything required of him by the development coaches. "Nathan Gordon's a really good example (of what we want). By weight of performance, he's now pushed his way on to the senior list because he tries as hard as he possibly can," Roos said.

"He runs as hard as he possibly can and he does the things we want our senior players to do in the seconds.’’

Dew and reserves coach Daniel McPherson have taken pleasure in watching the rapid progress of Gordon, who’s known around the club as ‘Nipper’.

"He's just got himself elevated due to a couple of simple things: his work rate and his willingness to compete," Dew said.

"He's hard at the ball, he'll put his head over it. Every week, we just say, 'Nipper's done it again' and sooner or later, you can't ignore those kind of guys."

Gordon’s development is a great example for other Sydney boys who come through the ranks in the local competition with a dream to play for the Swans.

Nathan says he was inspired by the success of Craig Bird and Kieren Jack, both NSW boys who also came off the rookie list.

“When I was a teenager I heard a lot about Craig Bird and Kieren Jack. Birdy was on a scholarship the year before me, so it gave me a look into how it worked and what you could achieve.’’

Gordon would like to model himself on a few current Swans players.

“I’d like to be as hard at the ball as Jude Bolton, and to combine that with the running ability of Kieren and Ben McGlynn,’’ Gordon says.

Which certainly gives Sydney Swans fans something to look forward to.