Cats have no concerns over Gary Ablett’s durability despite shoulder and hamstring concerns

GARY Ablett might not play in the JLT Series but the Cats say they won’t pension him off into an exclusive forward-line role just yet. Vote: How many goals will Gazza kick in 2018?

GEELONG says it will not need to ease Gary Ablett into a small forward role next year after a series of positive medical tests on his 33-year-old body.

The Cats are bullish that Ablett will be able to play as much midfield time as they require.

This season he played just three games after Round 13 as he battled with hamstring tendinitis. He has also had several operations on his shoulders in recent years.

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New Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd told the Herald Sun yesterday like all senior players Ablett would be managed so he peaked for a potential 2018 finals campaign.

But while question marks arose over Ablett’s willingness to play hurt this year, the Cats have no concerns about his durability.

Gary Ablett will still be doing plenty of grunt work. Picture: AAP

Geelong will also hope to use Ablett close to goal. Picture: Getty Images

Only a single Cats player had off-season surgery — Lachie Henderson had a minor knee procedure and is already running.

Lloyd said Geelong’s medical staff were thrilled with Ablett’s condition.

Ablett is in Australia’s Chris-Scott-coached International Rules team along with Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood with the first of two Tests against Ireland to be played in Adelaide on Sunday week.

“I know Gary was doing a lot of different types of testing with our head doctor and physio and basically the screening was positive,” Lloyd said.

“Obviously there will be things to manage but the screening was positive with Gaz, particularly around the strength of his shoulders and a lot of the testing on his body was positive.

“Gary at times will play as an inside mid and a deep forward and a high forward. It will be up to Chris and the coaching team as to where they choose to play him.

“But he will play forward line and midfield for us and at times he will have a major influence on a game at any time, but he will also be in the team to play his role.”

Ablett has 11 seasons of 24 goals or more and is equally adept as a pure midfielder or crumbing forward.

Ablett and Patrick Dangerfield both deep inside 50 might be a scary thought for opposition coaches. Picture: Colleen Petch

But gone are the days when a star midfielder could rest deep — the small forward position now one of the AFL’s most physically demanding roles.

“A lot of people don’t realise that, the running numbers of a high forward,” Lloyd said.

“They are your connectors between halfback and we expect to be up across the midfield, then being across centre wing and then getting there for the front-end-square.

“They do a huge amount of work and it’s a different kind of running. Midfielders do a lot of bash and crash and mechanical work. They are doing more agility type work.”

The Cats lost Steven Motlop and Darcy Lang and gave up a 2018 second-rounder for Ablett, and also shuffled down from pick 19 to 24 in this year’s draft.

But they believe pressuring forwards Lincoln McCarthy, Cory Gregson and Nakia Cockatoo will all have a major influence next year.

“Overall we have got a healthy list, we have only had the one surgery. In regards to Gregson and McCarthy they were both running on the track today.

“Dan Menzel will play a role down there too but to be missing Gregson and McCarthy for a large chunk of the season, we see them as being really important to us and our forward line mix going forward.”