Gold Coast hold off a fast-finishing Hawthorn at the MCG to keep its finals hopes alive

GARY Ablett haunted Hawthorn once again on Saturday, putting on a clinic at the MCG, to guide Gold Coast home and keep the clubs’ finals hopes alive.

Gary Ablett clears from the stoppage against Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein

GARY Ablett’s manager Liam Pickering predicted pre-game on AFL Nation radio that the 33-year-old star could conceivably play on for three more seasons.

Whether that’s with Gold Coast, or Geelong, still remains a mute point but if the ‘Little Master’ does manage to play on until the end of the 2020 season, there won’t be many at the Hawthorn Football Club toasting his longevity as much as the football public will.

Few players have managed to get hold of the Hawks during their extraordinary era of success, which is now officially at an end.

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But it can be said with certainty that no one has done it with the regal regularity of Ablett, who once more dominated the stats sheet and the match as the Gold Coast officially ended Hawthorn’s season, and kept its own alive.

“It’s always good to get your hands on the ball,” Ablett said after the Suns held on for a 16-point win over the Hawks in what was one of the understatements of the season.

Ablett had 37 disposals - eclipsed in numbers only by Hawthorn’s Tom Mitchell with 39 - to keep his extraordinary run against the Hawks rolling along.

Gary Ablett and Matt Rosa celebrate Gold Coast’s win over Hawthorn.

Try these on for a beautiful set of numbers that Ablett has racked up against the brown and gold since 2010 - 37, 36, 40, 45, 35, 37, 43, 34, 43, 38 and 32.

That makes an average of 38 disposals in his past 11 games against the Hawks, and if you add 10 tackles, eight clearances and two goals, it gives a true sense of his influence to the young Suns.

He spent eight minutes on the bench midway through the last term after an interchange miscalculation that had coach Rodney Eade worried.

It was no surprise that this time on the pine coincided with the Hawks producing their best patch of the game, highlighted by some fine work forward from Jack Gunston, who kicked five goals for the game - and three for the term - in his best game of the season.

Tom Mitchell was once again prolific for Hawthorn.

That brought the home side back to within nine points with 10 minutes to play after they had trailed by 43 points just a quarter earlier.

But when he came back on Ablett gained a crucial clearance that gave the Suns the edge, and soon after a side step in the middle of the MCG, where he has done so much of his best work over the years, resulted in the match-sealing goal to Peter Wright late in the game.

There was plenty to like from the Suns as they kept within touch of the top eight, and eased the tension on Eade, even if the coach would have felt sick at times in the last term.

The Hawks lost Luke Hodge and Luke Breust as late withdrawals and had a host of others out, as their rebuilding of the list is underway. There is more hurt to come, but at least the trophy cabinet is a crowded one out at Waverley.

Peter Wright kicked the sealer for Gold Coast.

Ablett was the difference in this match. Any wonder that Gold Coast is so desperate to keep him to the final year of his contract next year, and why the Geelong romantics are just as intently want to see him finish his career down the highway.

Regardless of what happens, Ablett is back to somewhere near his best after a battle with injuries over the past few years, and seems to have some really good footy left ahead of him.

VOTES

3: Gary Ablett (Gold Coast)

2: Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)

1: Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)

BEST

Gold Coast: G.Ablett, S.May, J.Lyons, J.Witts, M.Barlow, P.Wright, D.Swallow

Hawthorn: J.Gunston, T.Mitchell, S.Burgoyne, B.Hartung, I.Smith,

Originally published as Gold Coast hold off a fast-finishing Hawthorn at the MCG to keep its finals hopes alive