Dragons' Dean Young to play 200th game

So when the retiring 28-year-old runs out for his 200th Dragons game in Wollongong tonight, father ‘‘Albert’’ admits it will be hard not to be taken in by the occasion.

Dean will become only the third player to achieve a double century for the joint venture, behind Ben Hornby and Matt Cooper, when the Dragons host Canterbury at WIN Stadium.

It’s not so much the milestone which makes Craig - captain of the 1979 Dragons premiership side - so proud, but more on the terms in which his son has achieved it.

‘‘It’s a credit to himself and something he can cherish for the rest of his life,’’ said Young senior, recruitment manager at the Dragons.

‘‘It does make you proud, particularly with what he’s been through with injury - it’s all very well documented.’’

As the story goes, two surgeries to Dean’s troublesome left knee brought a sudden halt to his career during 2006 and 2007.

Through a tailored training regime and untold ambition, the Dapto junior overcame the setbacks to fulfil Test, Origin and premiership ambitions.

Young has long admitted that knee problems would bring a premature end to his career, and in April he officially announced it had become all too much to play beyond this year.

With a burgeoning coaching career on the cards for Dean, the consensus is that the Young name will continue its strong legacy off the field.

‘‘He’s pretty unselfish and thinks of his team-mates and the club first,’’ Craig said.

‘‘That’s just the way his character is.

‘‘To see the way he battles through the long hours of rehab and that, and the grand final win in 2010, it’s great what he’s achieved.

‘‘That premiership is probably the highlight.’’

Young junior was typically modest yesterday when pressed about his pending milestone, reverting to how important tonight’s game was in the context of his side’s season.

‘‘I think I’ll probably look at all that stuff when I finish at the end of the year, to be honest,’’ he said.

‘‘I haven’t really thought too much about.

‘‘We’re not really going as well as we would have liked to and we’ve been thinking about other things.’’

That Dean has pushed beyond such setbacks is a testament to himself. Not that the veteran lock readily admits it.

‘‘It’s been tough, but we’ve done plenty of stories about that,’’ he said.

‘‘There was plenty of times [when I didn’t think I’d make it to 200 games], but I’m here now and looking forward to it.’’