The gun midfielder, who won flags at TRYC in 2004, 2006 and 2015, three more at Albury Tigers and coached the Magpies from 2017-19, will play under former Magpies premiership coach Michael Mazzocchi at the Bulldogs.

Yates won three straight best and fairests from 2016 to 2018, but the 33-year-old was keen to have a shot at Riverina League before it was too late.

Turvey Park was speaking to Yates about a move for some weeks before Mazzocchi came on board, but Yates said the decision was made a little easier once he knew he'd be playing under him again.

"I'd never go to another club in the same competition as The Rock. That made it a little easier, but it was still a really tough decision," Yates said.

"I wrestled with it for a good couple of weeks. It didn't sit well with me but at the end of the day I thought if I don't do it now, it'll be never.

"It was a bit of a sickening feeling when I had to ring a few of the boys and tell them, but that's the way it goes.

"I'll play for as long as I can, as long as the mind and the body are holding up."

Yates' signing will help the Bulldogs fill the midfield void left by Jeremy Sykes' departure to Coolamon.

"He (Mazzocchi) told me about a few other blokes he was chatting to and I thought why not go have a crack at it for a year," Yates said.

"I knew Turvey had good juniors and if they can get some of them to stick around and develop them, Turvey would be a pretty strong side.

"It will be different (not coaching), but at the same time I'm still going to be a leader on the field when it comes to playing with such a young group of players."

Mazzocchi said Yates ticked the boxes they needed in his quest to develop the Bulldogs' young list.

"He's going to be big for us, not only football wise but his leadership around those young players," he said.

"He wants to test himself again in a better standard in the RFL. He thinks he's got better football in him and he's coming for all the right reasons.

"He's someone I'll lean on quite heavily in what he's seeing out on the ground, how the structures are working and where they can improve.

"We were really specific in what we wanted, some experience, class and good people around those young players.

"When I signed as coach I had no idea the club was already actively recruiting Tom. The Turvey recruiting committee had already been in discussions with Tom for four to six weeks.

"I didn't actively chase or recruit him and I know it's going to look like I did, but I've spoken to the club (TRYC) and told them how it's happened."

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