G. Ablett in talks with GC

[jimmy35]

Doesn't hurt to talk, see what's about, although I can understand if the Cats and supporters may be miffed about it.
It's going to be a shitload of money on offer and the question will be is there enough left at Geelong to keep him there?

 

[Durham Hawks]

purely from a business/salary cap point of view, every club other than geelong should want ablett to sign for GC17. it means the gold coast is less likely and less capable of poaching their own superstars, while also creating an inflated salary structure for any established players they do pick up or trade for.

 

[wce4premiership]

Would be interesting if he left to see peoples reactions. It would be understandable it's a LOT of money i'd assume.

 

[rainman06]

Just loving Matthew Knights and his school principal attitude.......

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ld-coast-meeting/story-e6frf9jf-1225808246442

You're dealing with adults, Matthew, and they can speak to whoever they want to speak to in the interests of themselves and their careers. Footy clubs show no loyalty to players so they cant expect loyalty in return.

As long as they perform on the ground they have done their jobs. Its December, ffs.

Rubbish.

Knights is dead right. If Ablett is thinking about GC enough already to go up and hear them out, what does that say about his interests in the upcoming preseason/season?

He said that if any Essendon player was doing this then he would be bitterly dissapointed....and so he should be.

No football club should want players who dont want to play for the club...whether its Gary Ablett Jnr, Adam McPhee, Luke Ball or whoever.

Not only are they dealing with adults, they are dealing with professionals. And no matter how much you hate Knights or love Ablett, this is very unprofessional behavior from Gary.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

I think less people would recognise Gary on the Gold Coast than in Geelong. It might very well be more peaceful for him. And im sure you can get away from the foreshore skyrise hustle and bustle. A short drive out of the Gold Coast you have heaps of peaceful places for Mr. Ablett to set up a home and start working on the next genertion Abletts.

If he makes the move, im sending him a couple of widebrim hats (pay on arrival, of course). I couldn't stand seeing him and his progeny (it runs in the genes, look at Ablett Snr.) with burnt little bald heads.

 

[Nater]

Rubbish.

Knights is dead right. If Ablett is thinking about GC enough already to go up and hear them out, what does that say about his interests in the upcoming preseason/season?

He said that if any Essendon player was doing this then he would be bitterly dissapointed....and so he should be.

No football club should want players who dont want to play for the club...whether its Gary Ablett Jnr, Adam McPhee, Luke Ball or whoever.

Not only are they dealing with adults, they are dealing with professionals. And no matter how much you hate Knights or love Ablett, this is very unprofessional behavior from Gary.

FULL.....OF....CRAP!!!

The AFL is probably the only professional sport left in the world where a team can cut a player at anytime and no one cares, but a player cant talk to another club or is scorned for trying to secure his future.

Lebron James is the highest profile athlete in a team based sport on the planet. He comes out of contract at the end of the current NBA season. There has been speculation about his future for 12 months already with the big lights of New York being amongst the favourite to lure him from Cleveland. You would be loathe to think he hadn't spoked to other teams about their offers before the start of the current season and over there, no one gives a hoot.

In the NRL players sign up with different clubs and continue out the season with their current clubs, Karmichael Hunt had no problems playing with the Broncos after signing with the GC. We have to get over this stigma, once free agencey comes in, and it will, this type of thing will start to become commonplace. I know fans love clubs more than they love the players, but players are starting to realise they dont have a 100+year lifespan like clubs and need to make the most out of their oppourtunities.

I think its a great move by the GC, i remember when Port came in and the excitement around Alberton about how hard Port chased Buckley, Grant and Wanganeen with their 4 uncontracted player signings. We got close to Buckley, damn close with Grant & were lucky enough to get Gav, its a great boost for boosting excitement and interest in the new team.

 

[Nater]

On top of that tho, i wanna stress i hope Gaz stays with the cats, i love the romance between the Abletts and the cats and i think it would be a travesty if he left.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Yep, and I always take my lawyer/ accountant with me to see my sister...

Probably a good idea when you're visiting any woman.

ba-doom-tsh!

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Rubbish.

Knights is dead right. If Ablett is thinking about GC enough already to go up and hear them out, what does that say about his interests in the upcoming preseason/season?

He said that if any Essendon player was doing this then he would be bitterly dissapointed....and so he should be.

No football club should want players who dont want to play for the club...whether its Gary Ablett Jnr, Adam McPhee, Luke Ball or whoever.

Not only are they dealing with adults, they are dealing with professionals. And no matter how much you hate Knights or love Ablett, this is very unprofessional behavior from Gary.

And as a professional I would think it his professional duty to himself and any future family he may have to raise to talk with them.

People saying that he definitely won't leave IMO are being naive.

 

[The Donners]

New Gold Coast side makes a play for Ablett
JAKE NIALL

December 8, 2009

GEELONG champion Gary Ablett held a meeting with Gold Coast officials on the weekend, confirming that the AFL's 17th club has already started what is expected to be a massive play for the player widely regarded as the game's best.

more here

= more money from Geelong

 

[Wally Carter]

If they offer him 1.6 mill per annum then I reckon he will go.

In fact, he'd be mad not to go.

Gary is well aware of the money making potential he has in football. He and his father have big plans to stitch up Ablett inc memorabilia.

 

[MacMum]

No person in their right mind would shrug off an offer that Gary has supposedly got from GC....he would HAVE to consider it, if he didn't he'd be nearly classed an idiot.......Who honestly would NOT give serious consideration to such an offer...

Sentiment is fantastic...only to a point!...it doesn't provide you with a lifesyle that most people only dream of..

Gary may love the GC and want to live there......who doesn't?!!...plus he has family there...both excellent reasons on their own to consider the move....add a huge monitary offer, the world becomes his oyster..

My family are Cats, and they would be devastated, yet have already said they can understand why he would want to go..

 

[Wally Carter]

On the flipside, Gary could get Geelong picks 2, 5 and 11 and Geelong would also be mad not to seriously look at it considering where their list is at.

Combine those three picks with Sellwood, Hawkins, Mackie, Varcoe, Brown, Gillies, Blake, Taylor, Stokes, Menzel, Christensen and Vardy along with veterans Johnson, Kelly and Bartel and the Cats could be seriously looking at another crack at the title in 4-5 years time.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

After what he's done for Geelong over the past three seasons (and his entire AFL career, for that matter), I could never hate Gary Ablett. He will always be a legend of the Geelong Football Club. And from a financial point of view, he must be considering cashing in while his earning power is at its maximum. Let's face it, he's not exactly Tom Harley or Billy Brownless. He probably doesn't have a huge media career lined up after his playing days are over. As posters on here have mentioned, how much loyalty would you feel to your current employer, if someone else offered you a 40-60% pay increase to move up to the Gold Coast?

I'm hoping Gaz is using this as a way of driving up his market value. If and when free agency comes in, after West Sydney and Gold Coast have set themselves up, I'd like to see a Larry Bird exemption introduced, with regard to free agents. Basically, this means that you are allowed to match any offer, even going outside the salary cap, in order to re-sign your own players. Gaz will have made his decision one way or the other by then, but I think it is required to stop the floodgates opening with player movement.

 

[snrub]

Re: Ablett in "secret" talks with Gold Coast FC

doesn't Pickering manage other players other than Ablett?

Not quite sure why Gazza would join Pickers on the Gold Coast to help discuss the future of another one of Pickers' clients.

 

[bulletproof]

Gary will always be loved in Geelong even if he did leave, he is in our 5 greatest players with what he has achieved already. However, I have to say this is very ordinairy on his behalf (and the Gold Coast) meeting with these people in person when he has an entire season to run.

I hope Bomber gives him the mother of all serves when he returns to Geelong, because he deserves it.

Has already got our defence off to a shocking start.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Re: Ablett in "secret" talks with Gold Coast FC

Not quite sure why Gazza would join Pickers on the Gold Coast to help discuss the future of another one of Pickers' clients.

Maybe he was helping Pickers sell Buddy to GC?

 

[rainman06]

Gary will always be loved in Geelong even if he did leave, he is in our 5 greatest players with what he has achieved already. However, I have to say this is very ordinairy on his behalf (and the Gold Coast) meeting with these people in person when he has an entire season to run.

I hope Bomber gives him the mother of all serves when he returns to Geelong, because he deserves it.

Has already got our defence off to a shocking start.

Finally a bit of clear thinking.

Some people in this thread are talking as if a player has never chosen to take less money and stick with a club that has given him his opportunity over moving for more money.

I'm not saying loyalty does or should exist everywhere, but plenty of people show it all the time in this competition (some of which we never hear about).

Loyalty isnt everything, but neither is money.

I bet every single Geelong supporter out there feels a little bit betrayed....and with good reason. Even if most of you wont say it. It's not so much the fact that he is talking to them, but that he is doing it now. Doesnt look good for where his mind is at the moment.

 

[witsend]

Finally a bit of clear thinking.

Some people in this thread are talking as if a player has never chosen to take less money and stick with a club that has given him his opportunity over moving for more money.

I'm not saying loyalty does or should exist everywhere, but plenty of people show it all the time in this competition (some of which we never hear about).

Loyalty isnt everything, but neither is money.

I bet every single Geelong supporter out there feels a little bit betrayed....and with good reason. Even if most of you wont say it. It's not so much the fact that he is talking to them, but that he is doing it now. Doesnt look good for where his mind is at the moment.

I'll feel betrayed if and when the facts come out.

 

[SirJimi05]

Given that the AFL have said the compensation picks (even though we don't know exactly what the formula is) will be "additional" picks, rather than taking away the GC's existing picks, pick 1 is impossible (as is any other top 10 pick for that matter). Hence why we are saying it's rubbish.

Mate i'm not saying you are wrong but i wouldn't mind some clarification because i interpreted it totally different.

My understanding is that compensation picks can be used in any year, for a 5 year period, after the GC & WS don't have any more priority picks.

This would mean that the AFL would have no problem handing Geelong the number 1 pick that they would deserve should he leave.

I hope it's like this anyway. Would be wrong to see the Cats end up with pick 11 or something like that.

There were always persistent rumours about that, of Port letting Essendon have Wanganeen then under promise of his return once Port got the AFL licence, with the alternative being not having him at all. How true it is, who knows.

Yeah i remember that rumour. there was also the McDonalds franchise rumour which was meant to be an added reason ontop of his home sickness.

.

Lebron James is the highest profile athlete in a team based sport on the planet.

lol Wat?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Finally a bit of clear thinking.

Some people in this thread are talking as if a player has never chosen to take less money and stick with a club that has given him his opportunity over moving for more money.
I'm not saying loyalty does or should exist everywhere, but plenty of people show it all the time in this competition (some of which we never hear about).

Loyalty isnt everything, but neither is money.

I bet every single Geelong supporter out there feels a little bit betrayed....and with good reason. Even if most of you wont say it. It's not so much the fact that he is talking to them, but that he is doing it now. Doesnt look good for where his mind is at the moment.

As to the highlighted bit, I think you'll find he's already been doing it. How long is a person expected to sacrifice or jeopardise their financial security so that you and some other anonymous people will feel better about it?

I'm really heartened by all the people on here that presume to know what's best for Gary both mentally and financially. I'm sure he's touched by it himself.

Do you think that if Geelong hadn't picked him up then no one else would have? It amazes me when people say that high profile players owe clubs. It's crap. What did Judd owe West Coast? If they hadn't picked him up do you honestly believe no one else would have.
Lower pick, speculators I would say differently but 1st and 2nd round picks I wouldn't.

 

[white_noise]

lol Here's hoping GC get him.

We will take Bartel and Selwood too if you don't mind

 

[cantos_tevez]

...I'd like to see a Larry Bird exemption introduced, with regard to free agents. Basically, this means that you are allowed to match any offer, even going outside the salary cap, in order to re-sign your own players...

Yeh I like that rule, but how does it work? Like does the player have to play x amount of seasons to be eligible? I assume it's how Kobe has stayed at the Lakers and Lebron at the Cavs.

 

[markr]

On the flipside, Gary could get Geelong picks 2, 5 and 11 and Geelong would also be mad not to seriously look at it considering where their list is at.

From everything I've heard the most a single player will get is one pick.

 

[popathon]

Yeh I like that rule, but how does it work? Like does the player have to play x amount of seasons to be eligible? I assume it's how Kobe has stayed at the Lakers and Lebron at the Cavs.

When a player signs a contract they can have a player option in the last year (i think) the team can also have a team option at any stage (i think).