Gary Ablett, Jr.

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Gary Ablett
Gary Ablett
Personal information
Full name	Gary Ablett, Junior
Date of Birth	14 May 1984 (1984-05-14) (age 24)
Place of Birth	Victoria, Australia
Recruited from	Modewarre / Geelong Falcons
Draft	40th overall (father/son), 2001 Geelong Cats
Height/Weight	182 cm / 85 kg
Position	Midfielder/Forward
Club information
Current club	Geelong
Number	29
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2002 –	Geelong	141 (187)
¹ Playing statistics to end of Round 20, 2008 season.
Career highlights
AFL AFL Premiership player (2007) 2-time Leigh Matthews Trophy winner as MVP (2007, 2008) All-Australian (2007, 2008) AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year Award (2007, 2008) AFL Media Association Player of the Year Award (2007) Herald Sun Player of the Year Award (2007) The Age Player of the Year Award (2007) AFL Pre-Season NAB Cup Premiership player (2006) AFL Coaches Association Team of the Year (2005) VFL Premiership player (2002) Geelong Football Club Geelong Best and Fairest Winner (2007) 3rd Geelong Best & Fairest (2005, 2006) GFC Leading Goalkicker Award (2006) GFC Most Improved Player Award (2003) TAC Cup Vic Country (2001)

Gary Ablett, Jnr (born 14 May 1984) is an Australian rules football player for the Geelong Football Club. A midfielder/forward at 1.82 metres (6 ft) and 85 kilograms (187 lb), he is the eldest son of AFL Hall of Famer Gary Ablett, Snr. Ablett was part of the Cats' premiership-winning team in 2007. He is also a dual Leigh Matthews Trophy winner as the AFLPA Most Valuable Player, has won a Carji Greeves Medal, and was selected to the All-Australian side in 2007 and 2008.

Career

Gary Ablett, Jr. at Geelong vs Kangaroos, Qualifying Final, 2007

Early career

Gary Jr. was picked up by the Cats under the father-son rule and made his senior debut in 2002. He was selected 12 times in his first season and spent half of the year playing in the reserves, highlighted by helping the Geelong VFL side capture the 2002 VFL Premiership against Port Melbourne at Optus Oval.

2007

After spending five seasons as a dynamic small forward who occasionally pushed up the ground, Ablett, armed with improved fitness levels and a newfound ability to overcome taggers, made the permanent move to the midfield in 2007, where he has grown to become one of the best and most influential midfielders/forward pocket/rover forward in the game. This was reflected in his outright favouritism in the 2007 Brownlow Medal, awarded to the player adjudged by the umpires as the best and fairest player in the AFL, his sweeping of individual media awards for the season, and his selection as first rover in the 2007 All-Australian team. However, Ablett ultimately lost out on the 2007 Brownlow Medal to his Geelong teammate Jimmy Bartel. Ablett capped off his outstanding year with a solid performance in the record breaking Grand Final win over Port Adelaide.

Ablett took out a number of media awards and was voted by other players in the AFL as the Most Valuable Player for 2007.

He was the recipient of the Carji Greeves Medal awarded to the club's best and fairest player for the season.^[1][2][3] The 2007 Brownlow Medallist, Jimmy Bartel, was runner-up. Ablett polled 691 votes - 178 votes more than Bartel.^[1][2][3] Ablett joins his father with the medal, Gary Ablett Sr. received the award in 1984 - in his first year at the club.^[2][3]

2008

Ablett took his game to yet another level in 2008, establishing himself as one of the shortest Brownlow Medal favourites ever by midseason. His hold on the medal was perceived to be so great that upon injuring his ankle in Round 15 against Fremantle, bookmakers suspended betting on the Brownlow amid rumours his injury was going to keep him out for the rest of the season as opposed to the 1-2 weeks initially reported. He returned in round 19 against Melbourne and found near top form the next week against top four contenders, Sydney, and was still one of the Brownlow favourites despite his three week absence. Ultimately, however, he scored 22 votes and the 2008 Brownlow Medal was closely won by Adam Cooney. ^[4]

Statistics

Statistics are correct as of 7 September 2008 (Elimination Final)^[5]

Honours

• Team
  • AFL Premiership with Geelong: 2007
  • AFL McClelland Trophy with Geelong: 2007, 2008
  • AFL NAB Cup with Geelong: 2006
  • VFL Premiership with Geelong: 2002

• Individual
  • Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2007, 2008
  • All-Australian: 2007, 2008
  • Carji Greeves Medal: 2007
  • Victorian Team representative honours in AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match: 2008
  • AFLCA Player of the Year Award: 2007, 2008
  • AFMA Player of the Year Award: 2007
  • Herald Sun Player of the Year Award: 2007
  • The Age Player of the Year Award: 2007
  • Geelong F.C. Leading Goalkicker Award: 2006
  • Geelong F.C. Best Team & Most Constructive Player Award: 2004
  • Geelong F.C. Most Improved Player Award: 2003

Personal life

Ablett has been dating RMIT University student Lauren Phillips since 2002.^[6]

Off the field, he is a co-owner of the award-winning Coggs Brewing Company.^{[citation needed]} He is the older brother of Nathan Ablett

See also

• List of Australian rules football families

Footnotes

References

• Slattery, Geoff (2007). Geelong - The Greatest Team Of All. Docklands, Victoria: Geoff Slattery Publishing Pty Ltd, 18, 48, 81, 94. ISBN 978-0-9803466-9-5. 
• Townley, Simon (2007). Year of the Cat - The Inside Story. Geelong, Victoria: The Geelong Advertiser Pty Ltd, 19, 33, 81, 101. ISBN 978-0-9592863-7-3. 
• Gullan, Scott (2008). The Mission - The Inside Story of Geelong's 2007 AFL Premiership. Melbourne, Victoria: Weston Media and Communications, 71, 79, 139, 140, 141. ISBN 978-0-646-48985-8. 

External links

• Gary Ablett, Jr.'s statistics from AFL Tables
• Gary Ablett, Jr. profile on the Official AFL Website of the Geelong Football Club
• Gary Ablett Tribute Video