Opinion Gary Ablett Senior

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Big_Tazz

Big_Tazz

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Mar 20, 2007
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hey cat fans, and yes this thread is about the great Gary Ablett.. I used to love watching the big guy play, probly why i chose geelong as my team.. i think i was about 11 when he retired.. but anyway, because i was that small, i never used to know about his training and all that. And i had recently heard from a good source that he never used to train as much as the other players, because he was just a freak, and just used to kill the rest of the team in 100m sprints and all that. And when they would go to the gym for a work out, he did everything with ease, and his teammates used to just think he was abnormal, probly why he was the greatest player to ever play AFL..
 
Ablett more was than just the freak who rarely trained but delivered weekly.

He was a player who loved football as a kid, and developed his skills by playing almost daily with his brothers, father and uncles etc. As he grew up, his passion for football was still alight, his desire to step into the unknown of the city was not his utmost priority. However, when he accepted the terrritory, he trained harder than what people think, and delivered some of the greatest efforts seen by a sportsmen.

He had exceptional pace, brute strength, magnificent skills and awareness, as well as the ability to entertain the crowd - qualities that all cannot be god-given.

He is the best footballer to ever play. Easily.

That is my take, anyway.
 

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I remember the first time I saw that song they made about him. 'Give us the gods, we've got their names' or whatever it was. Was on a Sunday afternoon watching a Sydney game. Sent more than a single shiver up my spine. Doesn't do it for me nowadays like it used to though.
 
Saw GA Snr play a game against West Coast at subiaco one day in the 90's. We all know of the goal kicking feats but this day he gathered 30+ possessions from CHB and absolutely smashed the weeagles. Took it to another level. Anyone remember that?
 
Similar to Big Tazz, I grew up watng Ablett and he probably ruined AFL for me because when you do grow up watching Ablett and only Ablett, once he retired, it seemed AFL just wasn't the same!

Fair to say there will be no else like him to play the game!
 
Whispers said:
Similar to Big Tazz, I grew up watng Ablett and he probably ruined AFL for me because when you do grow up watching Ablett and only Ablett, once he retired, it seemed AFL just wasn't the same!

Fair to say there will be no else like him to play the game!
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Everyone criticised him and said he was past it during and after his last season of AFL football. I think his last season was unfairly judged, just due to what he had previously done.
 
MmkMrMackie said:
Everyone criticised him and said he was past it during and after his last season of AFL football. I think his last season was unfairly judged, just due to what he had previously done.
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In his last season, 1995 he kicked 118gls to win the Coleman Medal for the third straight year.In 1994 he only kicked 113gls, that doesn't seem fair.
Is that what you mean by cynical? If so I'm guilty :D:D:D:D
 

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like the time he turned up late (1/2hr b4) to a game versus richmond @ the 'G' and preceeded to kick 5 in the first 1/4 from a wing and finished with 14!
 
linelefty said:
Saw GA Snr play a game against West Coast at subiaco one day in the 90's. We all know of the goal kicking feats but this day he gathered 30+ possessions from CHB and absolutely smashed the weeagles. Took it to another level. Anyone remember that?
Click to expand...

Was that 92? I went to that match as well, my one and only trip to Perth.

Loved being in the outer surrounded by a sea of eagles.
 
Simply put, what a footballer Gary Sr was. Saw him in Rd 1 1984, indeed i was actually at his debut in Rd 2 1982 for Hawthorn...But that opening game against the 'Roys at K.P in 1984 was special, he jumped, kicked and marked like no-one else i had seen. In 1996 he still kicked 69 goals in 17 games, no cat has bettered that since in a season. In Rd 1 1997, he kicked 7 goals in the reserves, while Geelong lost to Richmond by about 8 points in the seniors....He partially tore his ACL and never played again.

It's a joy to see his two sons play for the Cats, and i reckon it's pretty special that they are. We should enjoy watching them as well, and just hope that maybe with a new coach in years to come (Or if Bomber turns it on) we can see success for the Cats.
 
Whispers said:
Similar to Big Tazz, I grew up watng Ablett and he probably ruined AFL for me because when you do grow up watching Ablett and only Ablett, once he retired, it seemed AFL just wasn't the same!

Fair to say there will be no else like him to play the game!
Click to expand...
lol exactly.. when ablett retired, i didnt know what to do, was very sad, didnt get into footy as much for a couple of years, thats how sad i was, being young n all
 
You can say he was the greatest but I would say he was on a par with Wayne Carey as the best player I have ever seen, I think if you talk longevity though he would've outlasted carey (carey's last years with the crows were a joke!)

Mind you there is a certain guy called Judd now who may give it a shake.

I saw him at the MCG one year (not sure what year that was) but it was against Richmond and he kicked 10 and almost missed as many. Those were the days before flooding and being double-teamed and it looked like a training drill - he took something like 16 marks all on the lead...looked invinceable.
 
I think it can be debated whether Ablett snr was the best ever. Definately in the top 5, Judd will overtake him. I actually think his one down side was that to often his amazing feats often didn't lift the team to wins (89 granny, 14 against essendon etc etc).

Abletts value was similar to Don Bradman in the thirties. If you were unlucky enough to come of age in the late eighties and early nineties in Geelong you'd remember things like recessions, pyramid and 30% youth unemployment. You were well aware that you came from one of the shittest towns in Australia.

But we had Ablett and going through the turnstyles, standing in the mud and watching him blast goals from anywhere, smash packs and do something every week you'd never seen before made you feel you were a little blessed and there's not many better feelings than that.

It might not seem like very long ago, but Geelong is a much much richer town now and so is the rest of oz. People like Judd and Goodes and Voss won't live as large in people's hearts because footy just doesn't matter as much and style of play these days is just insipid. I don't think many will remember this period as a great time for footy and some of the current legends will be a little tarnished by it.
 
Deep North said:
I think it can be debated whether Ablett snr was the best ever. Definately in the top 5, Judd will overtake him. I actually think his one down side was that to often his amazing feats often didn't lift the team to wins (89 granny, 14 against essendon etc etc).

Abletts value was similar to Don Bradman in the thirties. If you were unlucky enough to come of age in the late eighties and early nineties in Geelong you'd remember things like recessions, pyramid and 30% youth unemployment. You were well aware that you came from one of the shittest towns in Australia.

But we had Ablett and going through the turnstyles, standing in the mud and watching him blast goals from anywhere, smash packs and do something every week you'd never seen before made you feel you were a little blessed and there's not many better feelings than that.

It might not seem like very long ago, but Geelong is a much much richer town now and so is the rest of oz. People like Judd and Goodes and Voss won't live as large in people's hearts because footy just doesn't matter as much and style of play these days is just insipid. I don't think many will remember this period as a great time for footy and some of the current legends will be a little tarnished by it.
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A bit too deep for this time of the morning isn't it. :cool::cool::cool:
 
linelefty said:
Saw GA Snr play a game against West Coast at subiaco one day in the 90's. We all know of the goal kicking feats but this day he gathered 30+ possessions from CHB and absolutely smashed the weeagles. Took it to another level. Anyone remember that?
Click to expand...

Played mainly out of the centre. Had 35 touches and kicked 5 goals in an awesome display. He just kept getting the ball and when a goal was needed up he popped. It was 1992 from memory. I am pretty sure that I have the game on video somewhere.
 
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