Rumour Ablett back to Geelong in 2016

[Scottland2007]

Article in the Hun today suggesting that Ablett might make his way back to Geelong at the end of 2015 if the Suns don't make the finals in the next few years



http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/teams/cats-hint-at-gary-ablett-return/story-e6frf9jx-1226525232112

How would you feel about Gary coming back?

This is speculation from Mooney and Costa. This is not from Ablett at all. I can't see him coming back. Would you go back to your old job for less money than what you're on now?

 

[Hot Tin Roof]

Got Jr. under the FS rule. Could get him back under FA rules.
This far out from 2015/16, I'll merge rules and give SFA thought to it.

Roll on 2013... Go Catters!

 

[winty]

Are you telling me that players like Pendlebury and Franklin weren't offered similar contracts by the expansion sides?

Hard to say. I doubt those two weren't on speaking terms with their coaches when they were approached though.

 

[muttonchops]

If he wants to come back to Geelong he can piss off and play for Modewarre, thanks but no thanks Gaz you play for money, thats not the Geelong way.

 

[Strangled Cat]

If he's returning only because Gold Coast suck, then he must have always planned to come back after 5 years. I LOL'd hard when GC were saying that their goal was a flag in 4 years. Even the mighty WCE and Adelaide Crows made up from primarily their states best players took 6 and 7 years respectively to win a flag.

Gary leaving the Cats to play for GC was like leaving his slightly older wife who was his childhood sweetheart who he's been around since birth for some younger, slightly sexier bimbo with no substance. Sure the perks were great in the beginning, but as the relationship wears on, it becomes abundantly apparent to Gaz that this young broad doesn't have near as much upside as he thought. With the honeymoon period over, maintaining the relationship just ain't worth it for Gaz, so he wants to return home and expects to just casually walk in like nothing ever happened? If I was the wife, or GFC I know where I'd tell him to go after I had moved on.

I know that none of this has come from Gary's mouth, but one has to wonder what the motivations would be for Gary to want to come back to Geelong. Gary's commitment to GC being conditional upon how successful they become would be a bad mindset. You could never really be focused on your own game if you're trying to convince yourself to stay on only if other people lift their weight too. I just can't see it happening personally.

 

[patience]

Yawn

 

[Poetic Justice]

This is speculation from Mooney and Costa. This is not from Ablett at all. I can't see him coming back. Would you go back to your old job for less money than what you're on now?

Who's to say his next GC contract would be worth much?

By the time his contract, GC's juniors should be starting to flourish and GC are going to want to spend some money to keep them rather than keep a veteran in GAJ.

To throw a curve ball, and I'm not sure with how contracts work, what if this year the frustration gets to him and he says he wants to leave GC and go back to Geelong? He forfeits the amount of his contract right? But why would that necessarily be a problem if he is still going to make an earn at the Cattery?

I'm past the circumstances of his departure, and as a few others have said, he is a freak of a player that doesn't come around often. And you'd have to say, just as you got used to him leaving, you'd get used to him being back in the hoops very quickly - especially if he had the form that bestows his reputation.

 

[Connoisseur]

He's not the best player the game has seen.
But if he wants to come back while he's still good enough, we ought to grab him for the going rate.
When it comes to player movements, it's beyond me to understand why players are expected to be loyal, but clubs are allowed (expected) to be ruthless.

How are clubs not 'loyal'?

Players can't expect to keep playing until their 50, that's ridiculous.

If a player is delisted there's now 17 other clubs that have the opportunity to pick him up if they think that particular player still has something to offer at the elite level. If they're not then I gues they don't have it anymore, end of discussion.

I don't actually have a problem with players like Goddard, Mumford, Prismall etc... leaving clubs for better (albeit reasonable )contracts elsewhere as long as it is *WITHIN* the apportioned salary cap (the swanettes are iffy on this I'll admit)

What left a foul taste in my mouth in regards to Ablett is that his poachnig was unethical and immoral on so many levels akin to what almost happened with Cook.

I'll touch on 2 main ones:

1. Gold Coast is not a separate entity and relied on money earnt by all the clubs in the league to offer an obscene ridiculous contract. They also deliberately manipulated their list to accommodate Abblett's contract by front loading it in the years they're paying peanuts for a bunch of teenagers. Very remisnicent with how norf tried to lure Cook over to their club with AFL money.
2. That contract was not in line with what other elite players are earning. I don't care how many idiots say he's the greatest playa evah; that claim is highly debatable. In all honesty don't even think he's the best in the last decade let alone the greatest of all time. In any event no player no matter how great or remarkable some people seem to think he is should not be taking home 10 million dollars in a 5 year period in the AFL. This isn't the EPL/NFL that are awash with money although I'm sure in Ablett's big baldy head he thinks he's worth every cent.

 

[pinion]

i remember he went to a restaurant my girlfriend works at the day the news broke that he signed with the suns. she texted me, excited that he was there. i texted back to shit in his food

Would love to have him back though. easy to see how he took the money and we couldn't even have come close to getting close to matching it. would love to think that all is forgiven, would love for him to settle back in the region (and most of all, would love for his kids to want to play here .....)

but until he comes back, i still want to shit in his food

 

[Jmac2225]

It's hilarious that posters on this board hold more resentment towered GAJ than his own teammates do. By all accounts GAJ is on good terms and still close with a number GFC players and staff.

 

[Stig_90]

By that stage I'll probably be over the defection and would welcome him back if it all falls into place. Anyone saying that we don't need him is absolutely kidding themself.

 

[fpm84]

I have no issues with Ablett and I still love watching him play more than any other opposition player. That said, it's really sad seeing him at the peak of his powers playing for a basket case. I can't see GC getting anywhere near the finals until Gaz is 32-33 and by then he will have wasted five or so seasons of Brownlow-quality football for nothing - except money.

Would I have him back at Geelong? It's easy to say yes because it would be a romantic story - favourite son finishes his career back home - especially if there's a chance he could help us to success. But at the same time, it all depends on the make up of our list and club at the time. Scott has made it clear that he thinks our window will be open (hopefully without closing in the meantime!) in 2015 or so. We don't know how much the likes of Menzel, Duncan, Vardy, Christensen, Smedts, Caddy, Motlop etc will be commanding by then or how bringing Gaz back back would disrupt team balance especially as most of his premiership teammates will have retired by then.

As others have said, he'd be taking a huge paycut to come back. He has three years to ponder it...

 

[FredLeDeux]

It's hilarious that posters on this board hold more resentment towered GAJ than his own teammates do. By all accounts GAJ is on good terms and still close with a number GFC players and staff.

Of course, when he left, it meant more in everyone else's kick.....

 

[FredLeDeux]

I have no issues with Ablett and I still love watching him play more than any other opposition player. That said, it's really sad seeing him at the peak of his powers playing for a basket case. I can't see GC getting anywhere near the finals until Gaz is 32-33 and by then he will have wasted five or so seasons of Brownlow-quality football for nothing - except money.

Would I have him back at Geelong? It's easy to say yes because it would be a romantic story - favourite son finishes his career back home - especially if there's a chance he could help us to success. But at the same time, it all depends on the make up of our list and club at the time. Scott has made it clear that he thinks our window will be open (hopefully without closing in the meantime!) in 2015 or so. We don't know how much the likes of Menzel, Duncan, Vardy, Christensen, Smedts, Caddy, Motlop etc will be commanding by then or how bringing Gaz back back would disrupt team balance especially as most of his premiership teammates will have retired by then.

As others have said, he'd be taking a huge paycut to come back. He has three years to ponder it...

Yeah, realistically it's dreamtime.
Of course, he could come back on the Board, like Wadey.

 

[JUBJUB]

Got Jr. under the FS rule. Could get him back under FA rules.

We could get him back under the F***ing arseh*le rule

 

[year of the cat]

Can come back as long as he takes the minimum wage.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

It's hilarious that posters on this board hold more resentment towered GAJ than his own teammates do. By all accounts GAJ is on good terms and still close with a number GFC players and staff.

The rest of the team each went home to find an extra storey on their house. What's not to like?

 

[Grizzly_82]

I don't have a problem with GAJ returning to the team - I think Bomber carries a lot of the blame for his decision to leave. But hey, he did so much for us for such a long time, good luck to him.

But I am genuinely hoping he wouldn't be back because he wouldn't be good enough to get a game with the development of who are the kids on our team now

So it was Bomber fault Gaz chased the Suns straight after a GF win and then lied all year he hasn't made his mind up.

**** him and his over inflated ego to be ****ing rich and turn his back on a club that helped his family all his ****ing life.

 

[topic97]

Realistically, it'll never happen.

Our young guys will have matured by then & we will be having another tilt.

But then their whole team of youngsters will be in their prime so if they aren't up there they will be bloody close to.
He will want to see that through.

 

[Vdubs]

I'm a totally unashamed Ablett fan, watch all his games if I'm around, hope that he wins a Brownlow every year, regard him as the #1 player in the comp by a lot, and would be rapt if he did the Prodigal Son thing and finished his career at home. He, at 31-34 ,would still have IT. Those who recall Lethal at the end of his career, Ablett would surpass that in a forward pocket/ FF role.
YES.

 

[Grizzly_82]

I'm a totally unashamed Ablett fan, watch all his games if I'm around, hope that he wins a Brownlow every year, regard him as the #1 player in the comp by a lot, and would be rapt if he did the Prodigal Son thing and finished his career at home. He, at 31-34 ,would still have IT. Those who recall Lethal at the end of his career, Ablett would surpass that in a forward pocket/ FF role.
YES.

You want a flog that chased another club straight after a grand final win and kept it from everyone for a whole year?

Great player but such a campaigner for what he did and I hope he never plays finals again

 

[candiehappy]

So it was Bomber fault Gaz chased the Suns straight after a GF win and then lied all year he hasn't made his mind up.

**** him and his over inflated ego to be ******* rich and turn his back on a club that helped his family all his ******* life.

the Bomber doing deals with his old club half way through the year and playing GAJ in the forward line rather than in the midfield - even though h was the best midfielder in the league?

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Maybe the wound is still a bit raw, but I'm surprised how many negative responses there are here. He'll still be a top 20 player in 3 years time and would slot easily into any side in the competition.

You obviously lost him at his prime, but you also managed to win another flag without him and managed to secure some awesome talent as compensation. Had he stayed, you might have lost someone else under cap pressure, and unless you'd won the flag in 2012 you'd have nothing else to show for it. In other words, him leaving didn't set you back. Him returning could elevate you!

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

It's hilarious that posters on this board hold more resentment towered GAJ than his own teammates do. By all accounts GAJ is on good terms and still close with a number GFC players and staff.

Might be because they know him personally and are his friends?

The fact that he is among the best players in the league a once in a generation player and has left the one club that I love and support above all others....Gone to a crappy Franchise wasting his talents on the bottom of the ladder for money and an assumption that GC will actually be a force one day and have assumed success.

 

[amj11]

Hmm don't really know what to think about this. Time's started to heal the wound caused by Gaz's departure, but that wound's not healed yet. I'd gladly welcome him back to the cattery, but it would be entirely dependant on where the team is in 2016. If, heaven forbid, the team is really struggling and looking at bottoming out, and Gaz still wanted to return and see out his career where he started then all would be forgiven for me. Would only be a good thing for our younger players to learn from one of the best and would also go some way to making up for his defection by returning to the club in a time of need. Good to secure any Ablett offspring too lol.

On the other hand, if the team is in a position to seriously contend for another premiership in 2016 (which is entirely possible and probably the more likely of the two scenarios) and he wanted to come back, then it's a no deal for me. If we're in the position to challenge in 2016 we could probably survive without his services anyway, but personally for me something just wouldnt sit right if Ablett were to return and win another flag with Geelong and share in any success after chasing $$$$ on the Gold Coast. It's probably a bit petty but at this point I just dont think he deserves any success despite how brilliant a player he is, he's made his bed and he can lie in it!