Gary Ablett’s season-ending shoulder injury is not only devastating for the Gold Coast Suns, but for football in general.
Too often we take for granted watching the little master bedazzle opponents on the football field, which is a testament to his durability.
It is remarkable that this is his first major injury when you consider the close attention he receives from the opposition every week.
The game’s best player dislocated his shoulder in last week’s match against Collingwood, when dour tagger Brent Macaffer drove him into the Metricon Stadium turf in a solid tackle. It was the most talked about shoulder in Australia and it was announced early during the week that the best option would be to book him in for surgery.
Ablett looked destined to be a runaway winner of the game’s most coveted individual award, the Brownlow Medal, but will now have to defy history if he is to claim the illustrious prize.
I will be watching the count, anxiously hoping for Ablett to burst from the blocks and hold on to win his third medal.
Make no mistake, Ablett is not just a champion of the game, he is an out-and-out legend.
As the game’s best player for more than half a decade, he can consider himself unlucky to not have won more Brownlows. He under-polled in 2007 after entering as the pre-count favourite and clearly winning Geelong’s best and fairest.
In 2008 he fell just short of Adam Cooney, despite once again entering the count as clear favourite by the bookies. After winning his first Brownlow in 2009, he was equal-favourite (with Dane Swan) to claim back-to-back medals in 2010 but finished in second place behind Chris Judd.
Despite the fact that he will miss the final seven games of the season, triple Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart believes Ablett is still a chance to win.
“He should have close to 25 votes and if you look at the guys behind him, they may not score that highly this year. Some of the guys who you would think are very good players haven’t played quite as well as previously.”
Here’s hoping Ablett joins Stewart as a triple Brownlow medallist come late September.
mattyb
Guest
My goodness me.Skelton,Stewart...did they play for Mars?
Michael huston
Guest
Did I mention a Swans player at all? Is anybody allowed to comment on Ablett if the comment doesn't include "the best in the game"?
mattyb
Guest
Auskicker??.The only reference to auskick I see here is those children might to be able to make a more sensible post than you.
Cat
Roar Guru
The more you talk Michael the more obvious it becomes you watch nothing but Swans highlights and think the world revolves around them.
Michael huston
Guest
What isn't sensible about that? He does things that many others in history have been capable of doing. Ps. Players like Skilton and Stewart make Ablett look like an Auskicker, sorry to burst your bubble.
Casper
Guest
Is there any chance that one day you will say something sensible? You really need to get your eyes checked out.
mattyb
Guest
Buckley almost invented the one/two and got countless possessions across half back.Ablett is a wonderful footballer and certainly hurts teams and will continue to do so when he eventually plays forward.As for Ablett automatically deserving the brownlow?There are plenty of players who deserve it but they can't all win.
That's life
Guest
Peter Knights did a collarbone if I remember rightly, missed 7 or 8 games and lost the count by3 votes in a 2 umpire voting era. Although this was pre internet, yes those days, I don't believe there were calls for him to get a "nearly" Brownlow medal. The accumulation of stats has become overpowering in recent years. As touched on above, little give and get handballs and 3 metre kicks tend to swell the numbers quite disproportionately to the impact that they have on the game. Friday night was a classic example. 3 or 4 Crows players had a lot more of the ball, and didn't we hear about it from the commentators yet with the last few goals were still behind at the final siren. Little Gazza racks up 30+ possessions yet the Hawks beat them by 50 points easing up. Where is the value? In that particular game he several times toe poked into an opponent in a pack or handballed it into the legs of someone yet the stats keepers just kept adding them to the total. This is not to pick on Ablett, truly a great player in the modern game, but if he cant stay on the paddock, his chances, like anyone elses have to be reduced.
Michael huston
Guest
Good points Bosk. He just racks up possessions, which is still great, but his qualities are using the ball so well both in hand and foot (a fairly basic skill), reading the play, composure in congested situations, a general ability to evade the opposition, and the ability to do it almost on a weekly basis. It makes for an outstanding player, but these Ablett-worshippers can't tell me theres not been dozens (at least) of other players that have these same skill sets.
Bosk
Guest
Ablett is a great player but is he really good enough to deserve joining the likes of Skilton, Reynolds, Bunton & Stewart with three Charlies? No question he finds more of the ball than any other player and in this Supercoach era of obsessing over statistics that is seen by some as proof alone of his greatness. I'm not so sure. There's no doubt Ablett has been remarkably consistent, but does he really hurt the opposition enough when he has the ball? I'm not faulting his decision making but a bloke like Nathan Buckley for example managed to rack up almost as many possessions as Ablett each week playing in an era where chipscabbing cheapies off the half-back line and racking up big numbers by dishing out dinky one-two's with teammates wasn't the norm, yet Bucks still managed to bomb 60m drop punts on the run down his teammates' throats on a regular basis. Buckley also carried some pretty ordinary Collingwood teams to a couple of grand finals. In fact I could name a pretty long list of midfielders I've watched over the years who I would put ahead of Ablett, not least because I don't rate accumulators particularly highly especially those who tend to earn a living off handball receives from their teammates. The number of times I've watched Ablett even at Geelong accumulate 30+ possessions without having any real impact on the result is not a short one. As for the idea that Ablett _deserves_ another Brownlow, ignoring the fact that he's already one of the most decorated players in the game who has been lavished with his fair share of praise & accolades, all I'll say is that guys like Corey McKernan, Chris Grant, Sam Mitchell & Trent Cotchin deserved one a hell of a lot more. Carey, Matthews, Ablett & Dunstall don't have a Brownlow between them either,
Aw
Guest
You can't just say Ablett deserves another brownlow, there's 5 rounds to go. It's disrespectful to the competition's other amazing players to insinuate they can't equal him with 7 extra games
Kevin
Guest
Hahaha, I was thinking along the same lines, and before him dally messenger I believe .... Is Jesus not available ? Kouta gave it a good run one year by missing a bucket load of games.. I will concede though , he is the best player in the comp..
shezza
Guest
If he polls the most votes, he will be deemed good enough
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Why on earth would you give a Brownlow to Tendulkar? (aka The Little Master)
Michael huston
Guest
This Ablett worship is nauseating. I feel awful for the guy. He's obviously a champion of the game whose chance at a huuuge honour could be out of his reach. It's a case of bad luck, nothing more, nothing less. Had he fallen slightly differently, he may have been able to finish the season off. But come on. Every star player misses the chance to really be their best because of injuries. It's a part of the game. They suck, I hate them, and I wouldn't wish an injury upon my least favourite player. But they do happen. His injury should not be considered any more devastating than an injury to a youngster. He, and we, should be thankful he's been blessed with as few injury concerns as he has been. Let's turn the tables for a moment. Ablett hits 28/29/30 at a brand new club, and is struck by constant injuries meaning he can never rediscover his very best form, meanwhile Judd goes on to reach his very peak with no injuries. Judd would be considered the best player in the comp, and Ablett would be considering retirement to nurse his aging body. You see how easy that could have happened? Yet nobody is saying how tragic it is that Judd's been so shaken by injuries. My point is that yes, it's sad for Ablett, but at the end of the day he's just a player. Do you not think Sam Mitchell or Scott Pendlebury deserve a Brownlow after narrowly missing out year after year? Wheres the declaration of their worth? As far as I'm concerned, Abletts injury is a blessing in disguise because now we can take our Ablett-tinted glasses off and realise that hey, maybe there are other amazingly talented players out there that are deserving of the games highest honour. Wish Ablett a speedy recovery and good luck on Brownlow night.