Inside Gary Ablett’s two-month training return
Gary Ablett has spent weeks in the AFL’s hub training to be ready for one last premiership tilt — and he had a trusted ally by his side. Here’s how Ablett trained to be ready for a farewell to remember.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gary Ablett just could not miss.
With his signature precision, every weighted pass on the small training field inside the AFL’s transition hub kept hitting a target.
But when one kick to Richmond youngster Bigoa Nyuon wobbled to the left, crashing through the garden and into the fence, Ablett called for another footy.
He could not finish the drill on that note. This time Nyuon did not need to move.
It was the type of perfection the Cats say Ablett attached routinely to his personalised training since leaving the Geelong bubble in mid-July.
On Sunday, Ablett returns against Sydney at Metricon Stadium, just five days after leaving the quarantine resort and more than two months after last playing a game.
Watch the 2020 Toyota AFL Finals Series on Kayo with every game before the Grand Final Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
“There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t think (he could come back),” said former Geelong defender Andrew Mackie, the man effectively tasked with preparing Ablett, 36, for his finals return.
“He was fully committed and did everything from the get-go. He was down to business. From our end, he did everything that was asked of him.
“Gary bought into everything and given the circumstances he is as well prepared as what we could do.
“Let’s just see what happens from here.”
THE PROGRAM
Ablett left the Geelong’s Western Australian hub on July 18, two days after having 19 possessions in the 22-point loss to Collingwood at Perth Stadium.
It came as no surprise.
In the days leading up to the match, Ablett told football manager Simon Lloyd and coach Chris Scott he would return home on compassionate grounds to be with his family.
Ablett had recently revealed his 18-month-old son Levi had a rare degenerative disease, while his wife Jordan was also caring for her mother Trudy, who lost her battle with cancer last month.
It was decided Ablett would face the Magpies and then return home, with the hope of linking back up with the team later in the season if circumstances allowed. The Cats played on the Thursday, Ablett told his teammates on the Friday and flew home on the Saturday.
In the background, Geelong devised its next move.
With its entire list and many staff in Perth, how would Ablett possibly maintain his footy fitness during his indefinite break?
Enter Mackie.
Retired at the end of 2017 after a decorated 280-game career, Mackie still looks fit enough to pull on the hoops and remains at the club in a list-management position.
The Cats rolled out their plan: Mackie would be Ablett’s training partner; strength and conditioning manager Chris Dennis would guide Ablett through a detailed program; and physio Mark Young would keep close watch.
By the end of July, only a week after leaving the Cats’ hub, Ablett was back in training.
From there, he trained three times a week on the track in Geelong and numerous other times in the gym until joining the AFL quarantine hub on September 1.
All sessions were inside the protected bubble of GMHBA Stadium. No other players or anyone external were allowed to take part.
Ablett was made to smash into tackle bags, make decisions under pressure, hit leading targets, snap goals, work to exhaustion and sprint at full capacity. Sessions ranged from 1-2 hours. Mackie would challenge Ablett in the sprint tests and act as a quasi opponent in small contested drills.
“He was putting in and it is never easy sometimes when you’re doing it by yourself,” Mackie said.
“But I was always confident and positive he was on the right track to come in and help the team.
“Chris Dennis did a great job preparing the volume-type stuff.
“Between the four of us, we made it work. To Gary’s credit, he did a great job. He’s a professional. He’s done it for so long – he knew what he needed to do with his body.”
Mackie was required to live under strict AFL protocols, including the twice-weekly COVID-19 test and the tough restrictions on day-to-day movement.
He was also set to travel up with Ablett, Shane Edwards and a Richmond staff equivalent for the early quarantine push that was eventually knocked on its head.
Instead, Mackie was part of the training crew inside the AFL hub that included Dan Hannebery and Edwards, and assistants Sam Lonergan and Jarryd Roughead.
He remains on the Gold Coast with the Cats, but with no hands-on training role.
“We’re just here to do our bit and that was my bit for the time. But we all chipped in. It would be great for him to have some success,” Mackie said.
MORE AFL NEWS:
Robbo Q&A: Ben Rutten breaks silence and lays out his plans for Essendon
Every North Melbourne player rated: Where is the list at ahead of huge rebuild?
Robbo: The Saints humiliated the Giants to break their finals drought but just how good are they?
AFL Draft 2020: Top 12 prospects from Vic Country
THE UNKNOWN
The main question will be how quickly Ablett can adjust to the intensity of an AFL game.
While he looked sharp in the four combined training sessions with Dan Hannebery and Shane Edwards in the quarantine hub, nothing replicates a game.
“He’s such a proud competitor, he doesn’t want to use a physical issue as an excuse,” Cats coach Chris Scott said.
“He’s lacking some match fitness this year, but he’s in better shape than 12 months ago.”
Former long-time president Frank Costa is hoping Ablett can have a fitting end to his career.
“I think Gary has still got some good footy left in him. He has shown that,” Costa said during the week.
“Hopefully he will go out on a very good note.”
Originally published as Inside Gary Ablett’s two-month training return
Attraction? Dees’ Petracca, Oliver issues puts recruitment at risk
A series of brilliant trades helped shape the team that won Melbourne the 2021 premiership, now it’s getting even harder for them to land big names – or possibly even keep them.
Freak hurricane threatens Tim Tszyu world title fight
Tim Tszyu’s team will hold urgent talks with American boxing authorities over his world title fight – which has been plunged into uncertainty over a ‘potentially catastrophic’ hurricane.