Gary Ablett Jnr opens up on his goals for 2018 and wanting his father back at the Cats

GARY Ablett believes winning another premiership at the Cattery would be the perfect finish to an already stunning career. But that isn’t the only thing he wants from his second stint at the Cats.

GARY Ablett is adamant he will make a splash as a pure midfielder at Geelong this year as he seeks to reconnect his legendary father with the club.

Ablett believes winning another premiership at the Cattery would be the perfect finish to a career that already has multiple flags and two Brownlow Medals.

He will make his Geelong return against Melbourne in a Cats team that debuts mature-ager Tim Kelly, pressuring mid Lachie Fogarty and key tall Esava Ratugolea.

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Patrick Dangerfield will return from a minor hamstring strain on Easter Monday, the club not prepared to take any risk with its star.

Ablett this week said speculation about him playing as a forward-midfielder was wide of the mark.

Joel Selwood and Gary Ablett will line up side-by-side this weekend. Picture: Peter Ristevski

“In the midfield. That’s the first conversation I had with ‘Scotty’ (Chris Scott). I said ‘I know I’m 33 mate, but I’ve got plenty of good footy left in these legs. Get me in there’.

“I feel I’ve had a really good pre-season so he’s promised me he’s going to start me in there in Round 1.

In an interview with Fox Footy to be shown on Sunday, he also spoke of his determination to lure father Gary Snr back to the club.

He was a regular in the stands — and in the rooms post-match — when Gary and brother Nathan played together but has grown distant with the club recently.

“I think, to come back here, I’m really hoping over the next couple of years my dad can get a bit more involved with the football club,” he said.

“I know that’s something he wants to do. I’m not too sure, whether it’s as a forwards coach or just coming along to more games and spending that time with the guys.

“I think to be able to come back down here, I’m sure he’s going to come along to a lot of those games.”

Chris Scott said on Friday he would be thrilled to see one of Geelong’s most famous names back in the rooms.

“I would. All Geelong people are the same, but it’s not my decision to make. The invitation is always there with the greats, if not the greatest.

“If he wants to show his face here we would be pretty excited. Gary Jr won’t get any pressure from me on that front.”

Ablett said after seven seasons at the Gold Coast he had realised the importance of family in his life.

His football resume will stack up with most in football, but still he has goals to realise.

“To hopefully finish off with a premiership, that’s my goal,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve achieved everything that I’ve wanted to in football. But I want to come back down here.

“I want a premiership with this group, that’s the goal. And I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to play my part.”

Scott is adamant all of Kelly, Fogarty and Ratugolea earned their spots on merit, not with an eye to the future.

Gary Ablett talks to his dad after a game.

“This is not about planning for the future this is about our best team for Sunday,” Scott said on Friday.

“They’re in based on merit, we highly rate the opposition and we know we need to play at our absolute best.

“There’s no room for us to take liberties with our selection or the way we play. It’s not like we’re short of options.”