Gary Ablett Jr plays in the NTFL for Palmerston against St Mary’s
Gary Ablett Jr’s NTFL debut for Palmerston was marked with plenty of excitement, as even his opposition were in awe of his every move. See all the action pics here.
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Palmerston may not have got the win but there was plenty of action and excitement when Gary Ablett Jr ran out in the Magpies’ black and white against St Mary’s.
Territory crowds cheered the AFL all time great’s every move as he showed off some of the silky skills that made won his two Brownlow Medals.
And even his opposition were in awe to be sharing the field with him.
Harrison Ling, a new St Mary’s defender and unabashed fan of Gary Ablett Jr and Mathew Stokes, has revealed playing on the high profile Palmerston recruits at different times was a “dream come true”.
The Saints backman and one of the competition’s leading spoilers has the unique backstory of also being a two-time Geelong Football League premiership player for St Mary’s back in Victoria.
Ling said he had been “super excited” in the build up to the Round 8 match, inundated with messages of support from friends.
“All my mates were messaging me,” Ling, a Geelong supporter, said, .
“It’s amazing to play against (Ablett Jr) so they were all saying good luck and to have a good time.”
After the match, won by St Mary’s by 31 points, Ling said it had been an “awesome” experience.
“It was a privilege to play against them,” Ling, who has been working as a teacher aid in the Top End, said, .
“It was a bit of a dream come true to play on (Ablett Jr) and be in their presence.”
Ling has been a quality addition for the Saints down back, with the latest league stats rating him first for one percenters and spoils, second for rebound 50s and intercept marks, third for contested marks and fifth for ground ball gets.
He said he spoke to Stokes briefly during the game, who he had played against back in Geelong,
And the dependable defender said he caught himself a few times staring at Ablett Jr during the game.
“It was a bit surreal, there were a few times when I looked around and saw him and thought: ‘Wow, you’re playing with The Goat’,” he said with a laugh.
“You can still see he has the skill.”
Ling said he was loving the Territory experience so far this season, banking seven games for the Saints.
“It’s very different to Geelong,” he said.
“It’s just so much fun, fast paced.”
MORE GARY ABLETT JR GALLERIES
Training with Palmerston Magpies
ALL THE PICS
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