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Gary Ablett of the Gold Coast Suns addresses the media during a press conference at Crown Casino in Melbourne. Slattery Images
It’s finally been confirmed. Gary Ablett has left Geelong and joined the Gold Coast Suns, becoming the highest paid player in the AFL. A press conference in Melbourne today made it official.
He’s reportedly been signed to a five-year deal worth close to $10 million, although the Suns did not disclose details of the contract.
Ablett said at the announcement it was an “incredibly difficult” decision to make and that the challenge of being part of a new club was a major factor for him, as well as the money on offer.
“I don’t shy away from the fact the money is attractive,” Ablett conceded.
While the financial side of things might shock some, there’s no doubting Ablett is practically the perfect choice for the Suns, who will now enter the AFL with one of the marquee players of the competition.
Ablett, a Brownlow winner and two-time best and fairest, played a huge role in Geelong’s period of dominance that involved two premierships.
He knows how to find the ball and is a proven match-winner, two qualities that will certainly help a young side like Gold Coast in their early years. Plus, by booting 44 goals for the Cats this season, Ablett has shown the ability to still influence games when up forward – something that will come in handy as the years progress and his body needs more of a rest.
Unquestionably, though, Ablett is one of the biggest names in the competition. For the Suns, a young club yet to play an AFL game and still building their brand and reputation, his addition provides an enormous boost.
For Geelong, meanwhile, the move is yet another blow.
Today’s announcement comes just one day after the news coach Mark Thompson may leave the club, with his future to be decided within days.
After a disappointing preliminary final exit this season, many are saying the team’s successful era is over. That claim seems a lot more credible without Ablett at the club.
There will be a lot of angry Cats fans today and, to an extent, that’s fair enough. But to Ablett’s credit, he did give supporters a lot of joy in his time at the club and the question has to be asked if there’s anything more he can do there that he hasn’t already done.
For Ablett personally, while his credentials as a footballer are strong, this is still a huge challenge.
He’ll no longer have a swag of quality midfielders around him like he had at the Cats. He’ll no longer be in one of the competition’s best teams. He’ll also have to step into the media spotlight more and is likely to be given the role of captain.
It will be interesting to see how he adapts.
On the day Gold Coast were awarded an AFL license, football director Graeme Downie boldly declared Ablett was the club’s main recruiting target. This was followed up by Ablett being spotted meeting with Gold Coast officials on the Glitter Strip in December of last year.
From that point on, it was the hottest story in footy. Practically everything, from his relationship status to his father’s living arrangements, was used as evidence in answering the question of the year, “Will he or won’t he?”
Now, finally, the saga can be brought to an end.
Gold Coast have their man. Gary Ablett is now a Sun.