Gazza the great’s last glory grab
Geelong superstar Gary Ablett demonstrated there was still life left in his 36-year-old legs.
On Saturday night at The Gabba, a grand final berth was still to be decided when Gary Ablett Jr seized the moment in what is known as the premiership quarter.
His first goal, which came with Geelong leading Brisbane by ten points midway through the third term, was a throwback to the player Ablett had been as a young Cat.
Arriving in football with a mop of blond hair and carrying one of the football’s most famous names, he had the happy knack of conjuring a goal from nothing.
With the Cats deep in attack, the ball flicked his way from a contest. In the blink of an eye Ablett wheeled into space and whipped it onto his boot for a crucial goal.
Not long after Cam Rayner had kicked a long-range goal to give Brisbane renewed hope, the dual-Brownlow medallist received a handball from Mitch Duncan in the middle.
Ablett accelerated away from his rivals and launched from inside the centre square. It was sleek, bald and bold.
It never looked like missing. And it was the perfect reminder of Ablett when he was in full-flight as a midfielder as a potent and explosive force.
Geelong coach Chris Scott later said he had a feeling of deja vu. He had seen this movie before.
As Ablett said on Sunday; “The old legs still have a bit left in them. So hopefully I can spit a few more through this weekend.”
The grand final against Richmond will mark the first decider played outside of Victoria. But it will also mark the final game of one of the finest players football has seen.
For almost four decades, Gary Ablett has been at the forefront of discussions regarding the greatest players of all time, with both father and son firmly in the conversation.
The former carried the nickname God for his miraculous deeds on the field, but he was a restless soul away from the game. Even now, his son quipped, he is planning a resurrection.
“My old man has been talking about making a comeback, so you never know. You might see him in a forward pocket,” he said.
But you most certainly will not see Junior running around again, even though the 36-year-old believes his body and mind might have lasted into a 20th season in 2021.
Should the Cats claim their first premiership since 2011, Ablett will be the fourth oldest premiership player in VFL/AFL history.
Hawthorn great Michael Tuck, who became an extended member of the famous clan when marrying Fay Ablett, was 38 when he played in the 1991 flag, while Bomber Charlie Hardy went back-to-back in 1923 and 24 when aged 36 and 37.
“(I have) no second thoughts,” Ablett said.
“The game doesn’t get any easier. I think for me, over the last couple of years, my body hasn’t been able to do what it could do in my younger years.
“I think going into the pre-season, I just had to adapt to that and work out other ways I could help the team. That comes down to my footy IQ and being able to position myself in the right spot.”
A five-time AFL Players Association MVP, Ablett has proven in every one of his 356 games that he knows how to find himself in the right spot.
Even in his final season of football, one Ablett described as the most difficult of his career given his family has been touched by tragedy and uncertainty, he has proven his worth.
Ablett stepped away from the Cats in the middle of the year to be with his partner Jordan as their son Levi, who has a rare degenerative condition, entered hospital.
His mother-in-law Trudy died in August after a lengthy fight with cancer. Moments as difficult as those put Ablett’s football mortality in perspective.
In some regards, Ablett has been dealing with football’s passage of time for years now.
When the eight-time All Australian first made the decision to leave Geelong for the Gold Coast, a hefty pay packet that would help him set up his family for life was a key part of the lure.
After several seasons as Suns captain, the pull of home and a desire to return to the club he loved proved too strong to ignore.
His coach had a plan, but it required Ablett to concede his days as the competition’s best player were behind him.
Instead of quantity in terms of possession, Scott wanted more quality in attack. And Ablett delivered when it mattered on Saturday night.
A final roll of the dice comes against Richmond on Saturday.
It is rare in football that fairytales come true, but Ablett is among the few who have been capable of shaping destiny on a footy field.
“It’s been 11 years since I have played in a grand final so I am really excited,” he said.
“I have been blessed to play the game for the last 19 years, to play the game for that long when the average career is only four years.
“I have been able to achieve so much in my career, so I’m hoping I can go out on a high.”
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"The job's not done."
— 7AFL (@7AFL) October 17, 2020
- Gary Ablett Jnr pic.twitter.com/2WV4UCtD9O
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