Gary Ablett, Jr.

Gary Ablett
Personal information
Full name Gary Ablett, Jr.
Nickname(s) "Gazza",[1] "Son of God"[2]
Date of birth (1984-05-14) 14 May 1984
Place of birth Moriac, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s) Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 40 (F/S), 2001 National Draft
Height/Weight 182 cm / 85 kg
Position(s) Midfielder / Forward
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number 9
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2002–2010
2011–
Geelong
Gold Coast
Total
192 (262)
087 (109)
279 (371)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 5, 2016 season.
Career highlights

Gary Ablett, Jr. (born 14 May 1984) is a professional Australian rules football player and is currently the captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He also previously played with the Geelong Football Club.

The eldest son of AFL Hall of Fame member and former Geelong player Gary Ablett, Sr., Ablett was drafted to Geelong under the father-son rule in the 2001 AFL draft.[3] He made his debut in 2002 and has since become recognised as one of the AFL's best midfielders.[4] Ablett is a dual premiership player, a dual NAB Cup winner, a dual Brownlow Medallist, a record five-time recipient of the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players Association's Most Valuable Player, a three-time recipient of the AFL Coaches Association 'Champion Player of the Year' award, and an eight-time All-Australian. Following his departure from Geelong, Ablett was a two-time Carji Greeves Medallist, a recipient of the club leading goalkicker award, a life member of the club, and had been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Gary Ablett, Junior was born to Gary and Sue Ablett in the country town of Modewarre, Victoria.[5] As the eldest boy among three other siblings, Ablett's childhood coincided with the peak of his father's footballing career. Along with his brother Nathan, Ablett would regularly attend his father's training sessions and weekly games.[5] Geelong players regarded them as "barefooted pests in the rooms", and would often engage in kick-to-kick sessions with both of the boys.[5] He attended Christian College Geelong during his schooling years.

Ablett played junior football with the Modewarre Football Club until he was chosen to play for the Geelong Falcons in the Under 18 TAC Cup competition in 2000.[5] Ablett's selection was met with controversy, as some families of other prospective junior players felt Ablett was chosen on the basis of his famous family heritage rather than footballing merit.[5] However, the Falcons' football manager Mick Turner repeatedly dismissed speculation.[5] Nonetheless, as the son of a popular and famous football player from Geelong, Ablett attracted a large following even at junior level. Although he was still a bottom-aged player, Ablett received mid-year State honours for Victoria Country during the 2001 National Championships. After spending one year in the TAC Cup, Ablett entered his name into the 2001 AFL Draft at the conclusion of the 2001 season.[5]

AFL career

Geelong: 2002–2010

Early career: 2002–2006

Young male athlete runs while wearing a navy blue and white striped sleeveless shirt and blue navy shorts. He looks ahead of the field as he holds the red football and prepares to kick it.

Ablett was drafted by the Geelong Football Club with their fifth selection, and was the fortieth overall draft pick in the 2001 AFL Draft under the father-son rule. Ablett made his senior debut for the club in the opening round of the 2002 AFL season, where he gathered 8 disposals and took 4 marks. Ablett made twelve senior appearances in total during the season, before spending the latter half of the year with the reserves team.[5] Playing as a small forward, he helped the club's reserves team win the 2002 VFL Premiership against the Port Melbourne Football Club.

After achieving premiership success with the reserves team in the previous year, Ablett established his position in the senior side the following season. Ablett alternated as a small forward and a midfielder,[6] scoring 26 goals and appearing in all of Geelong's senior fixtures during the 2003 AFL season.[6] Ablett finished the year ranked first at the club for tackles (77) and inside 50s (89), as well as second for hard-ball gets (65).[6] Following another season without participation in the finals series, Ablett and his teammates began their 2004 campaign with an appearance in the pre-season competition final against St Kilda. During the home-and-away period, Ablett helped the Cats compile a 15–7 win-loss record to qualify for their first finals series in four years. Geelong progressed through to the preliminary finals, before losing to Brisbane for a spot in the 2004 AFL Grand Final. Ablett made 21 appearances in total over the course of the season, and kicked a career-high 35 goals. He once again finished the year ranked first within the club for total tackles (93), and was awarded the club's Best Team and Most Constructive Player award at the end of the season. The following year, Geelong again qualified for the finals series after finishing the home-and-away campaign with a 12–10 win-loss record. They progressed through to the semi-finals, before a three-point loss to Sydney ended their season. Ablett's consistency, reflected with his appearance in all senior games during the year and team-high 86 tackles, was rewarded with a third-place finishing in the club best and fairest award.

After consecutive appearances in the finals series, Ablett and Geelong were expected to challenge for the premiership once again in 2006. The club's 2006 campaign began successfully when they captured the pre-season NAB Cup, winning their first pre-season premiership since 1961. During the season, Ablett kicked a career-high six goals against Fremantle in round twelve, before making his 100th senior appearance for the club in round twenty-two against Hawthorn. However, the Cats only managed to win 10 games throughout the season and did not qualify for the finals series. Ablett finished the season with 35 goals to win the club's leading goal kicker award and once again place third for the Carji Greeves Medal as the club's best and fairest player.

Elite midfielder and first premiership: 2007–2008

Young male athlete stands in a navy blue and white striped sleeveless shirt and blue navy shorts. With an opponent approaching him, he holds the football to his right side of the body and prepares to dispose of the red football.
Ablett prepares to dispose of the football during a game in the 2009 AFL Season.

After playing his first five seasons as a small forward who occasionally pushed up the ground, Ablett made a permanent move to the midfield in 2007. He helped the Cats finish the home-and-away season first on the ladder to win the McClelland Trophy and qualify for the finals series. Geelong progressed through to the 2007 AFL Grand Final, in which they defeated Port Adelaide by a record 119 points to win their first premiership since 1963. Ablett recorded 19 disposals, one goal, and an equal game-high eight tackles in the grand final victory.

Ablett played in all 25 games for the year and gained a number of individual accolades. After winning his first premiership, he also achieved All-Australian honours for the first time in his career. Despite being the favourite to win the 2007 Brownlow Medal, he finished equal-sixth with 20 votes behind team-mate Jimmy Bartel on 29 votes. However, his breakthrough season was recognised by the AFL Player's Association as they awarded him the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player. Ablett also became the youngest ever recipient of the AFL Coaches' Association (AFLCA) 'Champion Player of the Year' Award and the Australian Football Media Association (AFMA) 'Player of the Year' Award. Ablett also claimed two of the major media awards; the Herald Sun Player of the Year and The Age Player of the Year awards. Ablett completed his sweep of individual awards when he was awarded the Carji Greeves Medal as Geelong's best and fairest player for the first time in his career.[7]

Ablett's breakthrough season was highlighted by his increased output in several major statistical categories: Ablett increased his disposal average to 26.7 (from 16.9 the previous season), kicks per game to 14.3 (from 10.1), and handpasses per game to 12.4 (from 6.8). He ranked first at the club and second within the league for total disposals (667) and total kicks (358), and also second for total handballs (309).

Ablett continued to establish his position as one of the premier players of the competition during the 2008 AFL season. He helped the Cats achieve a record-equalling 21-win season and secure the McClelland Trophy for the second successive year. His standout season was recognised early on when he was selected to play for the Victorian state team in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match. However, a groin injury prevented him from participating in the all-star event. Having qualified for the finals series in first position on the ladder, Geelong progressed through to the grand final for a successive year. Despite losing only one game during the home-and-away period, Geelong failed to capture the premiership as they were defeated by Hawthorn in the deciding-game for the season. Ablett's performance in the final, during which he recorded a game-high 34 possessions, five tackles, eight inside 50s, and kicked an equal-team-high two goals, was recognised as he placed second in Norm Smith Medal voting for best afield in the grand final.

Ablett featured in 21 games for the season and was awarded All-Australian honours for the second successive year. Despite entering the 2008 Brownlow Medal count as the favourite once again, Ablett tallied 22 votes to finish third behind Adam Cooney. However, Ablett's performances throughout the year were further recognised when he was awarded the AFLPA Leigh Matthews Trophy and AFL Coaches' Association 'Champion Player of the Year' awards for the second consecutive season. After increasing his disposal average once again to 28.9 possessions per game, Ablett finished runner-up for the Carji Greeves Medal to teammate Joel Corey. His 606 disposals ranked ninth in the league, while his 318 handpasses throughout the season ranked him fourth within the competition. Geelong coach Mark Thompson described Ablett's 2008 season as "amazing" and implied he was unsure if Ablett could improve any more.[8] Thompson cited that he believed Ablett to be "at the top of his game".[8]

First Brownlow Medal and second premiership: 2009

Young male athlete is in a navy blue and white striped sleeveless shirt and blue navy shorts. He has both feet off of the ground as he kicks the red football and watches the follow-through.
Ablett kicks the football during a game in 2009.

Ablett was appointed to the club's seven-man leadership group and inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame prior to the 2009 AFL season.[9] Following the 2008 AFL Grand Final loss, Thompson suggested that Ablett would become a more prominent player in the forward line to provide the team with another goal-scoring option.[8] Ablett and his teammates began their 2009 campaign by winning the pre-season NAB Cup for the second time in four years. Ablett recorded 35 disposals and kicked three goals to place second for the Michael Tuck Medal as the player judged best afield in the final.[10]

In round four, Ablett made his 150th senior appearance for the club against Adelaide and gained life membership with Geelong in the process. Ablett went on to tie Nathan Buckley's then-record of 46 disposals in a game while also setting a new record for most handpasses in a game (33).[11] Ablett's proficiency in finding the football saw him reach 40 or more disposals in a game a record six times throughout the season, and 30 or more disposals fifteen times.[12] However, Ablett's critics accused him of playing selfishly in pursuit of individual honours ahead of team values.[13] Commentators such as Tim Watson claimed that Ablett had "become obsessed with the whole idea of going out there and being the best player"[13] in order to win the Brownlow Medal. Despite this, Ablett helped Geelong finish the home-and-away campaign with an 18–4 win-loss record to finish second on the ladder and qualify for the finals series. After wins against the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, Geelong progressed through to the Grand Final for the third successive season. During the final, Ablett gathered 25 disposals, six tackles, five inside-50s, and kicked one goal to help the Cats defeat St Kilda by 12 points and capture the premiership for the second time in three years.

Ablett's performances throughout the season were recognised at the 2009 AFLPA Awards, where he was awarded his third consecutive Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Player's Association Most Valuable Player. Ablett's victory saw him become the first player in history to win the award three times.[14] Ablett also won his third consecutive AFL Coaches' Association 'Champion Player of the Year' Award and was further acknowledged for his record-breaking season when awarded the 2009 Brownlow Medal. Ablett polled 30 votes to win the award despite missing the most amount of games (3) by any Brownlow winner since the 22-round season was introduced in 1994. Ablett's role in Geelong's premiership-winning campaign was further recognised at the conclusion of the season, when he was co-awarded his second Carji Greeves Medal alongside Corey Enright as the club's best-and-fairest player of the year.[15]

Ablett averaged a career-high and league-leading 33.8 possessions per game throughout the season. Ablett also led the league in total handpasses (445), handpasses per game (20.2) and contested possessions (256). His 744 total disposals during the season also ranked second within the league, while his 494 uncontested possessions ranked fourth.

After the 2009 season, and indeed at many points during the season, speculation continued to mount that Ablett would leave Geelong at the end of 2010 and join the AFL's newest team, Gold Coast.[16] On 29 September 2010 it was finally confirmed that he was joining the Gold Coast Suns in what is understood to be a multimillion-dollar deal.[17]

Gold Coast: 2011–present

Ablett (at left) playing for Gold Coast in the club's first game against Greater Western Sydney in May 2012

On 29 September 2010, Ablett signed a five-year contract with the new Gold Coast Football Club valued at more than $10 million and entered the first season in the 2011 AFL season.[18] On 19 January 2011, after much speculation, Ablett was named as the Gold Coast's inaugural AFL captain.

Second Brownlow Medal: 2013

On 23 September 2013, Ablett won his second Brownlow Medal, becoming the first Gold Coast player to win the award[19] and the 14th player in VFL/AFL history to win it twice. Ablett received three votes in the final round of the season, beating Geelong's Joel Selwood by one vote and Collingwood's Dane Swan by two votes.[20]

Ablett is just the fifth player to win Brownlow Medals at different clubs, joining Ian Stewart, Peter Moore, Greg Williams and Chris Judd.[21]

Season ending injury: 2014

Ablett had another outstanding season in 2014, averaging 32 possessions and kicking 24 goals[22] before suffering a season ending shoulder injury in the Sun's win against Collingwood in round 16.[23] Despite playing only 15 games he finished equal third in the Brownlow with 22 votes.[24]

Leadership criticism and more injuries: 2015

Ablett's shoulder injury affected his preseason, but he took the field for the Round 1 game against Melbourne. He scored two goals and had 19 disposals in the loss, then had 23 disposals and kicked one goal in the round 2 loss to St Kilda; but laid only one tackle in the two games.[25] The shoulder was still causing problems, and the Suns' medical staff sidelined him indefinitely before the round 3 clash with Geelong.[26] Doctor Peter Larkins stated four weeks later that the status of Ablett's injury meant that he could "miss the majority of the season".[27]

By the end of May, Ablett began to draw criticism from media personalities such as Garry Lyon and Jonathan Brown for his supposed lack of leadership in the struggling Suns side. On top of their numerous losses, some Suns players were displaying poor discipline and Lyon considered Ablett was not doing enough to prevent off-field indiscretions. When he refused to discuss the issues with Lyon on Triple M, Lyon described Ablett as "immature".[28] The following Monday on Fox Footy's On The Couch program, Jonathan Brown lashed Ablett for not taking the field, claiming he was cleared to play by Suns medicos and he should "play through the pain".[29] Ablett addressed these criticisms with a press conference on Wednesday June 3[30] saying it was not just an issue of pain and to return early would be "selfish".[31] On Foxtel's AFL360 program, Ablett's former coach Bomber Thompson defended his decision not to play, stating that Ablett's high standards mean that he does not want to take the field if he cannot give 100% effort.[32]

Ablett eventually returned for the Round 14 game against North Melbourne.[33] Although starting quietly he was instrumental in the win, gaining 31 disposals and kicking 3 goals.[34] He continued to perform well in the next two games, racking up 30 disposals in each and kicking four goals.[25] However he was again struck down with a season ending injury in Round 17, suffering a medial ligament tear to the left knee in the first quarter of the Suns' loss to Adelaide. The recovery time required meant that he did not play again in the 2015 season.[35]

Television

In 2009, Ablett appeared alongside other AFL footballers in an AFL television advertisement titled "AFL: in a league of its own".[36][37] The ad featured the players playing Australian rules football at famous sporting venues around the world, and in the middle of other sports being played, including basketball, soccer and American football.[36][37] Ablett is featured in a scene evading cars in an international off-road rally driving event, before kicking the ball to Fremantle player Matthew Pavlich.[36][37] The ad premiered on television on 22 March 2009.[37]

Personal life

Ablett is a member of what has been called the "Ablett dynasty", a group of footballers all descended from Alf and Colleen Ablett.[38] Ablett's father, Gary Ablett, Sr., and two of his uncles, Kevin and Geoff Ablett, played senior VFL football from the 1970s to the 1990s, and his brother, Nathan Ablett, and cousin, Luke Ablett, both played senior football in the 2000s and 2010s.[39] In May 2012, it was noted that, all together, Ablett's family had played a total of 900 matches, with his immediate family (Ablett, his father, and his brother) having a combined total of 500 matches.[40] Ablett's aunt, Fay Ablett, married Michael Tuck, the AFL's all-time games record holder, with whom she had two sons who also played league football: Shane and Travis Tuck.[41] Ablett's great-uncle, Len Ablett, played in Richmond's 1943 premiership side.[42]

Ablett dated Nine Network presenter Lauren Phillips for seven years, having first started dating after the 2002 grand final of the Victorian Football League.[42] However, in early January 2010 it was confirmed the pair had ended their relationship.[43] Ablett then dated Canadian former model Abby Boulbol.[44] In August 2010, Lauren Phillips confirmed that she and Ablett were back together,[45] however in September 2012, their relationship ended after nine years together.[46] At the 2013 Brownlow medal ceremony, Ablett was accompanied by girlfriend Jordan Papalia[47] After a disappointing season in 2015 where injury kept him out of all but 6 games, some good news arose in the announcement of his engagement to Papalia in July.[48]

Ablett is a committed Christian.[49]

Statistics

Since his move to a midfield position during the 2007 season, Ablett has ranked highly in a number of statistical categories, both within his own club and within the entire league. He led Geelong in total disposals in 2007, 2009, and 2010, recording the second-highest number of disposals in the AFL in each of those years (behind Kane Cornes in 2007 and behind Dane Swan in 2009 and 2010).[50][51] He also led Gold Coast in total disposals in their inaugural season in 2011.[52] Ablett's 53-disposal game against Collingwood in 2012 equalled Greg Williams' record for the most disposals in a single game, set in 1989.[53] He also holds records for the most handballs in a game (33 against Adelaide in 2009) and a season (445 in 2009).[54] Ablett's large disposal numbers have made him popular amongst participants in fantasy football – as of July 2012, he is the fifth-most-popular selection in both Dream Team and Supercoach, the leading online fantasy football competitions.[55][56]

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2015 season.[57]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Led the league for the season only
Led the league after finals only
Led the league after season and finals
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2002 Geelong 29 12 10 3 37 63 100 13 25 0.8 0.3 3.1 5.3 8.3 1.1 2.1
2003 Geelong 29 22 26 20 189 138 327 61 77 1.2 0.9 8.6 6.3 14.9 2.8 3.5
2004 Geelong 29 21 35 25 178 123 301 46 93 1.7 1.2 8.5 5.9 14.3 2.2 4.4
2005 Geelong 29 24 29 26 257 178 435 65 86 1.2 1.1 10.7 7.4 18.1 2.7 3.6
2006 Geelong 29 21 35 28 212 142 354 74 65 1.7 1.3 10.1 6.8 16.9 3.5 3.1
2007 Geelong 29 25 30 26 358 309 667 98 86 1.2 1.0 14.3 12.4 26.7 3.9 3.4
2008 Geelong 29 21 26 24 288 318 606 100 95 1.2 1.1 13.7 15.1 28.9 4.8 4.5
2009 Geelong 29 22 27 26 299 445 744 93 92 1.2 1.2 13.6 20.2 33.8 4.2 4.2
2010 Geelong 29 24 44 26 338 418 756 106 101 1.8 1.1 14.1 17.4 31.5 4.4 4.2
2011 Gold Coast 9 20 18 17 304 301 605 45 119 0.9 0.9 15.2 15.1 30.3 2.3 6.0
2012 Gold Coast 9 20 26 19 389 286 675 61 110 1.3 1.0 19.5 14.3 33.8 3.1 5.5
2013 Gold Coast 9 21 28 23 343 312 655 73 96 1.3 1.1 16.3 14.9 31.2 3.5 4.6
2014 Gold Coast 9 15 24 7 254 227 481 30 91 1.6 0.5 16.9 15.1 32.1 2.0 6.1
2015 Gold Coast 9 6 10 3 94 43 137 12 28 1.6 0.5 15.6 7.2 22.8 2.0 4.6
Career 274 368 273 3540 3303 6144 877 1164 1.34 1.00 12.92 12.05 24.97 3.20 4.25

Honours and achievements

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
2002
2003 3
2004 3
2005 3
2006 5
2007 20
2008 22
2009 30
2010 26
2011 23
2012 24
2013 28
2014 22
2015 3
Total 212
Key:
Green / Bold = Won
* = joint winner
Red / Italics = Ineligible

Team

Individual

Individual

Non-club awards

See also

References

  1. Hastie, David (6 June 2010). "Geelong fans urge Gary Ablett to stay a Cat". Sunday Herald Sun.
  2. Smart, Nick (30 September 2010). 'Son of God' Ablett rules his realmGold Coast Bulletin.
  3. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/22/2692572.htm
  4. Polkinghorne, David (27 April 2013). "Son or the gun? Aker goes for Gary junior".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Baum, G, "Ablett the younger makes his own mark", The Age, 18 September 2004. Retrieved 11 March 2009
  6. 1 2 3 Lovett, M, "AFL Season Preview 2004", Australian Football League Publishing, 2004, page 74
  7. Witham, J, "Ablett tops off a grand year for Geelong", Australian Football League & BigPond Network, 4 October 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2008
  8. 1 2 3 Robinson, M, "Geelong coach Mark Thompson commits to staying at Cats", The Herald Sun, 11 March 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2009
  9. Cresswell, J, "Five welcomed into Cats hall of fame", The Geelong Advertiser, 19 March 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009
  10. Cullen, M, "Cats belt Pies in NAB Cup GF", Australian Football League & BigPond Network, 14 March 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2009
  11. Edmund, S, "Gary Ablett slays Adelaide Crows, and still improving", The Herald Sun, 19 April 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010
  12. Connolly, R, " Sustained level of excellence rewarded", The Age, 22 September 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010
  13. 1 2 Auciello, M, "Geelong Cats defend Gary Ablett after Tim Watson criticism", The Geelong Advertiser, 11 August 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010
  14. "Ablett voted MVP for third consecutive year", Australian Football League & BigPond Network, 7 September 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009
  15. Lienert, S, "Corey Enright, Gary Ablett share Cats Medal", The Herald Sun, 2 October 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010
  16. Gary Ablett looks to be headed to a warmer place, The Roar. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  17. Big Fish Landed, afl.com.au. Retrieved 29 September 2010
  18. Adam McNicol (29 September 2010). "Big fish landed". Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  19. "Ablett pips Selwood, Swan to win second Brownlow Medal", AFL website, 23 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  20. "Ablett wins Brownlow Medal", The Age, 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  21. "Gold Coast star Gary Ablett wins 2013 Brownlow Medal", Herald Sun, 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  22. "9: Gary Ablett". Gold Coast Suns. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  23. "Gary Ablett out for season after electing for surgery". Fairfax Media. The Age. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  24. Clark, Jay (22 September 2014). "Gary Ablett surged to an early lead in 2014 Brownlow but couldn’t hold on as Matt Priddis finished strong". Herald Sun.
  25. 1 2 "Gary Jnr Ablett". Footy Wire. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  26. "Gary Ablett to rest shoulder indefinitely". The Australian. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  27. Bourke, Jake (18 May 2015). "Dr Peter Larkins expects Gary Ablett to miss the majority of the 2015 season". 3aw.com.au. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  28. "Wolf: Gary Ablett Immature Garry Lyon whacks Gold Coast captain for silent treatment". Triple M Footy. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  29. Beveridge, Riley (2 June 2015). "AFL 2015: Brown slams Ablett, North criticised, Dees questioned — What You Missed On TV Last Night". FOX SPORTS. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  30. "Gary Ablett says critics such as Jonathan Brown do not understand Gold Coast Suns absence". ABC News. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  31. Davis, Greg (3 June 2015). "Gary Ablett has hit back at Jonathan Brown after the Lions great said he needed to play through pain" (online). Courier Mail. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  32. "AFL 360". Fox Footy. 4 June 2015.
  33. Gabelich, Josh (2 July 2015). "Gary Ablett named to face North Melbourne". Gold Coast Suns. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  34. Newman, Beth (4 July 2015). "Gary Ablett: The return verdict". Fairfax Media. Brisbane Times. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  35. Bowen, Nick. "Knee injury rules Suns skipper Gary Ablett out for season". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  36. 1 2 3 Cresswell, Joel (20 March 2009). "Ablett blitzes new AFL promo". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Wilson, Caroline (10 March 2009). "League pushes north with new television commercial". realfooty.com.au. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  38. Sheahan, Mike (2008). In Dad's footsteps: the Ablett dynastyHerald Sun. Published 4 October 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  39. The Ablett Gallery – The Ablett Footballing Family. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  40. McFarlane, Glenn (2012). Abletts reach 'amazing' 900 league gamesCourier Mail. Published 20 May 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  41. Horan, Michael (2009). Tuck, Ablett families unite for Ryan Ablett's funeralThe Daily Telegraph. Published 2 April 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  42. 1 2 Lyon, Karen (2007). The Ablett effectThe Sydney Morning Herald. Published 24 April 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  43. "Gary Ablett Jnr splits with longtime partner Lauren Phillips". Herald Sun. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  44. Crawford, Carly (30 March 2010). "Gary Ablett and girlfriend Abby Boulbol have been communicating online". Herald Sun. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  45. Power, Emily (10 August 2010). "Where's Lauren Phillips? Back in Gary Abblett's arms". Herald Sun. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  46. Wilson, Kim (13 September 2012). "Gary Ablett and Lauren Phillips end relationship". Herald Sun. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  47. Gleeson, Michael. "Praise for one without equal". The Age. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  48. TYLER, BETHANY (9 July 2015). "Gary Ablett announces engagement via Instagram" (Online). News Corp Australia. GEELONG ADVERTISER. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  49. http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/living-with-gary-ablett-jnr/
  50. 2007 Stats: Player Lists, 2009 Stats: Player Lists, and 2010 Stats: Player Lists – AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  51. 2007 Stats: Season Records, 2008 Stats: Season Records, and 2010 Stats: Season Records – AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  52. 2007 Stats: Player Lists, 2011 Stats: Player Lists – AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  53. Player Season and Game Records: Most Disposals In A Game (1974–2012) – AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  54. Player Season and Game Records: Most Handballs In A Season (1974–2012) and Player Season and Game Records: Most Handballs In A Game (1974–2012) – AFL Tables. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  55. Who's Hot, Who's Not: Most Popular PlayersHerald Sun Supercoach. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  56. Market Watch – Most Popular Players – Toyota AFL Dream Team 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  57. Gary Ablett's player profile at AFL Tables

External links

Wikinews has related news: AFL: Gary Ablett wins Geelong's best and fairest

Notes

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Marc Lock
TAC Cup and VFL only
Gold Coast Football Club captain
2011–present
Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by
Chris Judd
Leigh Matthews Trophy
AFLPA Most Valuable Player

2007–2009
Succeeded by
Dane Swan
Preceded by
Adam Goodes
Simon Goodwin
AFL Coaches' Association
Champion Player of the Year

2007–2009
Preceded by
Paul Chapman
Carji Greeves Medal
2007
Succeeded by
Joel Corey
Preceded by
Adam Goodes
The Age Player of the Year
2007
Succeeded by
Sam Mitchell
Herald Sun Player of the Year
2007
Succeeded by
Brent Harvey
Australian Football Media Association
Player of the Year

2007
Preceded by
Adam Cooney
Brownlow Medal
2009
Succeeded by
Chris Judd
Preceded by
Joel Corey
Carji Greeves Medal
2009
With: Corey Enright
Succeeded by
Joel Selwood
Preceded by
Luke Hodge
All-Australian team captain
2011
Succeeded by
Darren Glass
New award Gold Coast Suns Club Champion
2011–2013
Succeeded by
David Swallow
Preceded by
Chris Judd
Leigh Matthews Trophy
AFLPA Most Valuable Player

2012–2013
Succeeded by
Nathan Fyfe
Preceded by
Sam Mitchell
Herald Sun Player of the Year
2012–2013
With: Nathan Fyfe (2013)
Succeeded by
Joel Selwood
Preceded by
Jobe Watson
Brownlow Medal
2013
Succeeded by
Matt Priddis


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