Gary Ablett set to play first final in eight years and believes Geelong can go all the way

LIKE his team, there is a sense of timing about Gary Ablett, and two massive wins in consecutive wins have fuelled his belief that Geelong can win the premiership.

Gary Ablett enjoys the win with Cats fans. Picture: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA has had five prime ministers since Gary Ablett played in a final.

That probably doesn’t mean a lot given the shenanigans in Canberra over the past week but the point is it’s been a long time between drinks.

When the “Little Master” last strode onto the MCG in September, Julia Gillard was PM and Geelong had just been pumped by Collingwood in the 2010 preliminary final.

REVEALED: HOW NORTH SURVIVED GOLD COAST DISASTER

MICK MALTHOUSE: THE BIGGEST FLOPS OF 2018

Now in his second coming as a Cat, there is a glint in the eye of the 34-year-old about what lies ahead in a couple of weeks time.

Like his team, there is a sense of timing about Ablett.

While floggings of Fremantle and Gold Coast in consecutive weeks doesn’t really mean much when it comes to finals football, the momentum it brings has a spring in their step,

It has also fuelled Ablett’s belief that Geelong can win the premiership.

“We do believe that (we can win), we know we have got the team to do it,” he declared after another brilliant 25-possession two-goal performance against the Suns.

“You obviously have to peak at the right time and you have to play four quarters of football, we were a bit inconsistent with that throughout the year but we have finished the season off strongly and that’s what we wanted to do.

“It has been an interesting year, there have been teams that have been sitting inside the top four for the first half of the season and then the ladder has really shifted around a bit.

“Any team in the eight can win the premiership, I truly mean that so we’ve just got to make sure we’re playing some good footy.”

Gary Ablett was instrumental in Geelong’s win over Gold Coast. Picture: Getty Images

The two-time Brownlow medallist has had his critcs - namely Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton - about his form but he says he’s perfectly placed to have an impact in September.

“I don’t think my season has been too bad, obviously there has been a lot of talk,” he said.

“I had the hamstring injury earlier in the year and I was able to get on top of that, I made sure I gave it the time it needed and now the body is feeling good.

“As I said before, it’s about peaking at the right time and the guys are really excited to go.”

Geelong coach Chris Scott senses his boom recruit is hitting his peak when it matters.

“He is craving the big stage,” Scott said.

“His form is really good and he is not dissimilar to (Patrick) Dangerfield in that he has had some minor bits and pieces this year but I don’t think he would have been playing better or feeling better than he is right now throughout the whole season.

“We almost had the comical situation a few weeks ago where he was playing the first Friday night game at the MCG since the 2010 preliminary final.

“The great player has been off the big stage for too long, so I look forward to seeing him back.”

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Hawkins celebrate a goal against the Suns. Picture: AAP

Geelong has played in the past two preliminary finals but Scott said his team was better placed this season for a shot at the premiership.

“It hasn’t worked out for us as well as we would have liked in the last couple of years when we were almost limping into the finals series,” Scott said.

“I know we’re lower down the ladder this year but we feel like we’re going in with more momentum and in better health and form.

“We can only do what we can do in terms of our performance. It’s hard to control things like the draw, the opposition and that sort of thing.

“Our ambition all along is to hit the end of the year in good form with good availability and great confidence in our game. I think we’ve done as much as we could have over the past couple of weeks to achieve that.

“Even across the season I think the numbers reflect that we’re in pretty good form. In terms of points against I think we’ll end up the season ranked one and probably in the top four in attack as well.

“The way the system is set up it really is about getting into the tournament and playing your best footy.

“Clearly we’d like to be higher up the ladder. We can’t control that now but I think it;s a really open finals series. I think most of the teams going in will think that they’re a really good chance of winning week by week.

“And certainly the games throughout the season have reflected that there’s not much separating those teams in their individual match-ups.”

Ablett enjoys the win with Cats fans. Picture: Getty Images

There has been a lot of hours spent analysing the Cats midfield stars with accusations of laziness and a lack of cohesion but Ablett believes the penny has finally dropped.

“We knew that was going to take time, we have got a lot of guys who like to win the first possession and it was just being able to read each other and know when we had that guy going in,” Ablett explained.

“Making that decision on whether you needed to be the receiver or the guy spitting out for the third kick, that takes time.

“We needed to make sure we were out on the track training together and playing together. I think we’re starting to get that right which is good.”

The week off will allow Ablett to watch his younger brother Nathan - the centre half-forward in the Cats 2007 premiership side - play in the BFL preliminary final for Modewarre.

He’s excited about that but even though he’s trying to play down his own feelings, the pure joy about his first final in eight years creeps out.

“It’s exciting,” he says with the trademark smile.

“That’s why we play football, to play finals and have a crack at the premiership.”

Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >