Natasha Ablett funeral: Loved ones of famous footy family gather to farewell Gary Ablett Jr’s sister

THE Ablett family talents have long been admired. Yet it was neither Gary — father nor son — whose gifts were being celebrated on Friday, writes Patrick Carlyon.

Gary Ablett Jr joined family to farewell his sister, Natasha (pictured in family photographs, including with dad, Gary Sr).

THE Ablett family talents have long been admired. Yet it was neither Gary — father nor son — whose gifts were being celebrated on Friday.

Instead, Natasha Ablett, Gary Ablett’s older sister, was remembered as the natural.

The girl who taught herself to play piano, according to her mother, Sue, is now playing “in God’s orchestra”. There will be swimming in Heaven, too, and A grades in English.

Natasha Ablett died last week, a few days after turning 35, after struggles with mental illness and drug addiction.

The timing seemed exquisitely unfair. After seven years at Gold Coast, Gary Ablett Jr had said he would retire if he could not return to Geelong, citing a need to “make myself more available” to his family.

His trade to Geelong went through on Thursday, producing a blaze of publicity and the long-desired result — in the bleakest of private moments.

Gary Ablett Jr will leave the Gold Coast to return to Geelong to play with the Cats and be closer to family.

Natasha with her dad, Gary Sr, in the changerooms after a game against Melbourne.

On Friday, several hundred mourners joined him, his father, brother Nathan, and mother Sue to farewell Natasha at the Torquay Christian Fellowship.

They giggled and sniffed on hearing tales about her generous spirit and bounding curiosity.

Natasha sang and danced and once excelled at staring competitions that involved mouthfuls of water and — perhaps predictably — lounge rooms “soggier than swimming pools”.

She was, in keeping with the higher-profile family members, “a bit of an all rounder”.

Natasha was a fish in the ocean: as a child she jumped from rocks at Torquay years before anyone else dared, as assured as “a mountain goat” and “as elegant as a gazelle”.

The Ablett family. Gary Ablett St and his children (from left) Gary Jr, then 11, Natasha, 13, Nathan, 10, and Alisha, 8.

Gary Ablett Jr posted this photograph on his website after death of his sister, Natasha.

Once, when terrified by seaweed, she surprised a childhood friend by leaping on to her shoulders, in a move the friend claimed she has never seen “so high, so vertical, unassisted, on or off the playing field”.

Natasha trampolined better than anyone and outplayed her younger brothers on the basketball court — at least, for a long time.

Nathan Ablett spoke of his sister’s “thirst”. There was nothing half-hearted, he said. She had to know.

He hadn’t prepared his thoughts — he prayed beforehand that the right words would come.

Christian faith underscored the service, and the older Gary Ablett spoke of walks and talks about belief with his daughter.

Nathan Ablett arrives at his sister’s funeral. Picture: Alex Coppel

Growing up, he said, she loved horse riding and fishing — even pig shooting.

Her escape efforts earned her the “Houdini” nickname.

“Just when you thought you had her safe, and you knew where she was, an hour later you’d get a phone call and she was 20km away.”

Ablett Sr said he learned much from Natasha’s heart and humility. He, like others, spoke about her love of giving presents.

He read a poem, The Dash: What matters is how we live and how we spend our dash.

Her aunt, Janice, said meetings — including their last — erupted into fits of laughter that spilled into tears. Natasha was the girl who loved to buy records, even though she owned no record player.

Janice recalled the toddler with a smile that said: “I can do anything — just ask me.”

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