George Campbell Gordon

‘Shicker’ Gordon, a wing three-quarter with good attacking abilities, was one of the great “bolters” in Australian rugby history. Despite having played senior rugby for more than four seasons, Gordon had never pulled on a representative jersey before he was selected for “the tour of tours”, the Waratahs to the Northern Hemisphere, in 1927. Gordon also holds a rather unique place in Australian rugby history as the only Wallaby to be dropped after scoring the match winning try in a Test against New Zealand.

Gordon attended Sydney’s Trinity College and played two seasons in both the 1st XV (1920-21), the second at fly-half and captain, and the 1st XI (1920-21). He was also the 100 yard and 220 yard champion athlete. After graduation, Gordon joined the Petersham Federals, a local junior team, who gave Western Suburbs 1st XV a 40 to 3 hiding in a 'warm-up' match ahead of the 1923 season. He was promptly invited to play for Wests where, in his second year, was part of the club’s grand-final side that lost 0-18 to University in the second Shute Shield competition.

Crucially, Gordon began the 1927 season in fine fettle. What made 1927 so important was that the Waratahs were booked to head off on one of the great tours, to the Northern Hemisphere, and with the selection trials were scheduled after just five rounds into the competition.

Gordon’s try for YMCA in their 9-11 second round loss to University was described as “the finest effort in the game” after “he sprinted about 30 yards to score near the corner, beating the full-back Andrew, by sheer determination.” However, not even that early run of form was enough for Gordon to make one of the four trial teams for the King’s birthday fixtures. A raft of injuries and withdrawals saw Gordon brought into the 3rd XV with Eric Ford, behind ‘Sheik’ Bowers and Bryan Palmer (1st XV) and Reg Foote and Stu MacLaren (2nd XV). Again, the cards of fortune fell Gordon’s way when he ended up as a reserve for the main fixture. He took that opportunity with both hands to come off the bench for the 2nd XV and score a good try.

Gordon’s luck appeared to know no bounds when three of his wing three-quarter contemporaries, each of whom were deemed certainties to win selection by the experts of the day, didn’t tour. Foote succumbed to a knee injury and withdrew, ‘Stumpy’ Crossman declared himself unavailable due to personal commitments, and Palmer pulled out “owing to business reasons”. The Rambler, in the “Referee”, wrote: “Perhaps the two biggest surprises, are Blair and Gordon "The former has been making progress for a long while and has of late been asserting himself whilst Gordon has come to the front at the right time, and the tour should turn him into a class player.”

Gordon made his state debut on the left wing in the 25-5 defeat of Neath & Aberavon at Port Talbot. He went on to score five tries in his eight matches. On the way home Gordon matched that five try tally in the match against British Columbia. He returned from the tour with an enhanced reputation, one that was on show just four weeks back when the Waratahs played The Rest at the Sydney Show Ground. Gordon scored three of the tourists’ seven tries in a 27 to 18 victory. Notably, the Rest’s wingers that day were Bryan Palmer and ‘Stumpy’ Crossman.

In 1928 Gordon, like 12 of his Waratah teammates who had either retired or made themselves unavailable, didn’t go on the tour to New Zealand. However, in 1929, he was more than back in the mix when picked in the first genuine Australian team in 15 years following Queensland’s return from its self-imposed exile. Not only was Gordon deemed good enough to start, but he also went on to score the winning try in the 9-8 defeat of New Zealand in Sydney: “There was only one score in the second half. That was a fine try by Australia. Palfreyman picked up the ball in the ruck, passed to Lawton, to King and on to Thorpe, who scooped up the ball from around knees and turned it in a flash to Gordon who shot over in the corner.”

Incredibly, among huge injury-driven changes, Gordon was dropped for the second Test after he played in the state team that lost 9-22 to the tourists, a loss decribed by the press as a genuinely “poor display”. Australia, with three new three-quarters (two on debut) and without Ross won the second international 17-9.

Gordon reached a career century of first grade appearances when he switched to Eastern Suburbs in 1930 after which he retired from the game to concentrate on a career in the insurance industry.

Cam 'Shicker' Gordon played one Test for Australia and will forever be Wallaby #262

Highlights

1932 Gordon made his Test debut on the left wing in the 9-8 victory over New Zealand at the SCG.