Pivo
Brownlow Medallist
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
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- AFL Club
- Geelong
- Other Teams
- WWT Eagles; Detroit Pistons
Read into it as you will.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/geelongs-door-open-for-ablett/2008/06/16/1213468334452.html
THE door remains open for Nathan Ablett to return to Geelong even next year, but the Cats would need to have the reluctant forward's future settled shortly after the season ends.
The Cats have left the decision completely with the younger Ablett brother, while remaining in regular contact with the premiership key forward, who remains on the senior list and is contracted until October 31.
Ablett is believed to be travelling in Australia and is not playing football at any level.
Ablett, 22, effectively retired from AFL football last November, but was retained on the senior list in case he decided to return.
Geelong still wants Ablett to return, but has chosen to give him space and not pressure him in any way, while making it clear that it would welcome him back.
While the Cats would seek input from their playing group before agreeing to let Ablett return — he walked away without a pre-season and would need significant work before he could play at senior level — the club believes this would not be an issue.
"Whether he wants to play footy or not is the only significant issue in this," Geelong football operations manager Neil Balme said yesterday. "That's his decision and once he makes it — he hasn't made it to now — but if he changes his mind on that, I'm sure he'd come and talk to us.
"From our point of view, it was, 'Do you want to play this year or not?' Well, he didn't want to play. That's fair enough, we need to respect that.
"He's still a very young man and there's still a lot of footy years left in him if he wanted to do that. Obviously, we don't close the door on it. But it's absolutely up to him.
"It's Nathan's decision essentially, but obviously there would be an element of what the other players wanted to happen as well. But I've got no doubt that if he were keen to play, they'd be keen for him to play."
In practice, the Cats would need to know his intentions — and at this stage, there is no suggestion he wishes to play again at the highest level — before lists are lodged and, realistically, before the trading and drafting is done.
Balme said October 31 was the deadline. "That's when his contract runs out and we've got to re-do lists. You know, that's a significant time. But it depends on what he wants to do, and what he lets us know he wants to do, and then we can sit down and work it out with him."
"Obviously, (brother Gary) talks to him all the time and we as a club talk to him regularly because we're sort of helping him in what he's doing outside of footy. So, we're still very, very interested in him as an individual, and we're trying to help him as much as we can, or whatever help he wants to be given.
"He's still kind of part of the (Geelong) family in that sense."
Ablett has been missed this year, with the club's boom teenage key forward prospect Tom Hawkins not yet having established himself as an automatic selection.
"You can paint the positive picture from the club's point of view. If he's keen to play, we're obviously very keen for him to come back and play," Balme said.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/geelongs-door-open-for-ablett/2008/06/16/1213468334452.html
THE door remains open for Nathan Ablett to return to Geelong even next year, but the Cats would need to have the reluctant forward's future settled shortly after the season ends.
The Cats have left the decision completely with the younger Ablett brother, while remaining in regular contact with the premiership key forward, who remains on the senior list and is contracted until October 31.
Ablett is believed to be travelling in Australia and is not playing football at any level.
Ablett, 22, effectively retired from AFL football last November, but was retained on the senior list in case he decided to return.
Geelong still wants Ablett to return, but has chosen to give him space and not pressure him in any way, while making it clear that it would welcome him back.
While the Cats would seek input from their playing group before agreeing to let Ablett return — he walked away without a pre-season and would need significant work before he could play at senior level — the club believes this would not be an issue.
"Whether he wants to play footy or not is the only significant issue in this," Geelong football operations manager Neil Balme said yesterday. "That's his decision and once he makes it — he hasn't made it to now — but if he changes his mind on that, I'm sure he'd come and talk to us.
"From our point of view, it was, 'Do you want to play this year or not?' Well, he didn't want to play. That's fair enough, we need to respect that.
"He's still a very young man and there's still a lot of footy years left in him if he wanted to do that. Obviously, we don't close the door on it. But it's absolutely up to him.
"It's Nathan's decision essentially, but obviously there would be an element of what the other players wanted to happen as well. But I've got no doubt that if he were keen to play, they'd be keen for him to play."
In practice, the Cats would need to know his intentions — and at this stage, there is no suggestion he wishes to play again at the highest level — before lists are lodged and, realistically, before the trading and drafting is done.
Balme said October 31 was the deadline. "That's when his contract runs out and we've got to re-do lists. You know, that's a significant time. But it depends on what he wants to do, and what he lets us know he wants to do, and then we can sit down and work it out with him."
"Obviously, (brother Gary) talks to him all the time and we as a club talk to him regularly because we're sort of helping him in what he's doing outside of footy. So, we're still very, very interested in him as an individual, and we're trying to help him as much as we can, or whatever help he wants to be given.
"He's still kind of part of the (Geelong) family in that sense."
Ablett has been missed this year, with the club's boom teenage key forward prospect Tom Hawkins not yet having established himself as an automatic selection.
"You can paint the positive picture from the club's point of view. If he's keen to play, we're obviously very keen for him to come back and play," Balme said.
