Gold Coast Suns can’t bend in a Gary Ablett trade deal

IF GARY Ablett is heading back to Geelong at the end of this season, Gold Coast must demand an All-Australian player or first-round draft pick in return, writes ALASTAIR LYNCH.

Gary Ablett in action for the Gold Coast Suns.

AS Gary Ablett prepares for his 300th game next week in what has been already one of the great careers, discussion will continue to rage on where will he be next season.

Footy romantics say Ablett will be remembered most as a Geelong icon because of the famous name and the premiership success he achieved there.

But I think Gold Coast takes an equally important position in Ablett’s legacy because it was in a Suns jumper that he produced his absolute best football.

He won four All-Australian jumpers and a Brownlow for each club, but claimed more club champion awards at the Suns and is on track to add to that tally this year which demonstrates the heavier burden he has carried in a young team.

And there is also the pivotal role he played in sinking an AFL flag into the sands of the glitter strip.

Because of that, the Suns must not bend to the pressure of sentiment if Geelong come calling for a trade at the end of this season.

Already one of only three eight-time All-Australian team members, the future Legend in the AFL Hall of Fame is playing at such a high level again that the Suns will find it extremely difficult to entertain any trade back to Victoria.

Gary Ablett is back to some of the best form of his career.

Ablett in his early days at Geelong.

I would suspect that there has previously been thought at the Suns that if Ablett wants to return to Melbourne at the end of 2017 a trade could be facilitated.

Injuries and declining form over recent years balanced with freeing up significant salary cap space to land a current star midfielder was not without possibility and a positive PR story for all concerned.

However, since the heavy defeat and 16 disposals against GWS in Round 2, Ablett has averaged an impressive 35 disposals and would be a huge loss to the Suns.

The needs of the Suns are immediate and to trade in a second or third-round draft pick in the hope the player selected becomes good in time would be a massive loss for the Suns and Queensland football and cannot be entertained.

Ablett has produced the most three-vote games (47) in the history of Brownlow Medal voting.

The only way the Suns could justify trading out a player of his credentials is to land a star — a current or future All-Australian in the prime of their career worthy of the $1 million Ablett’s departure would leave in their salary cap.

That is unlikely to happen via a direct Ablett trade as other clubs would be reluctant to swap an established star or a high first-round pick due to Gaz’s age.

But that’s their decision to make to make and not the Suns’ concern.

Ablett is their player and they get to set the price.

Originally published as Gold Coast Suns can’t bend in a Gary Ablett trade deal