Nate Ablett: One Step Closer?

[GeeCat]

Ablett hope alive
13 March 2004 Herald Sun
Jon Anderson

GEELONG remains hopeful a third Ablett could pull on the blue and white hoops.

Nathan Ablett, the son of Gary Sr and younger brother of Gary Jr, privately declared his intentions to retire after playing last season with Bellarine Peninsula club Modewarre.

But the 194cm Ablett, said to have developed into a man mountain, is back training with Modewarre.

Described as a very shy 18-year-old who works as a landscape labourer in the Torquay area, Ablett continues to resist offers to become involved in Geelong's program.

"The main thing from our point of view is that Nathan is playing," Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said yesterday.

"We would love to get him playing a couple of games this year with our VFL side, but we will continue to respect Nathan's wishes."

Cook and Geelong coach Mark Thompson have both met Ablett but he remains steadfast in his desire to not be drafted under the father-son rule.

Nathan Ablett has desperately maintained his privacy despite his famous surname and his natural football ability.

Andrew Purchase, a golf-course builder and Geelong supporter, met Ablett last year at Torquay Sands golf course.

He offered the youngster a lift home one night after noticing him heading off on foot for a lengthy trip.

"Nathan didn't speak for the entire journey but (on) arriving politely asked me my name then said, 'Thank you, Andrew' before getting out of the car," Purchase recalled.

"I just hope like heck he decides to play with the club."


GEELONG captain Steven King is making steady progress from his achilles tendon injury but won't be available until at least Round 6, when the Cats play Adelaide at Skilled Stadium.
From a back-up perspective, the club continues to be pleased with the development of Mark Blake, the son of former ruckman Rod Blake, who was picked up at last year's National Draft under the father-son rule.

Blake stands 199cm and proved with the Geelong Falcons he was capable of playing as a key forward as well as a ruckman.


NEGOTIATIONS remain at a standstill over Geelong's dispute with the AFL over its major sponsor Toyota.
But while the Cats have received nothing further from the AFL, Cook is hopeful of a resolution.

"There are indications that Toyota may be coming softer towards our commitment to our major sponsor Ford," Cook said. "We just want to get it sorted out before Round 1."


I know it's articles like these that really puts Nathan off on footy, but I really hope to see him pull on the hoops in the near future.

On an off note, good to hear some positive progress on young Mark Blake.

 

[rizzo]

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Disappointed in Jon Anderson. It's a nothing story, and he knows the more media, the less chance we have of getting Nathan down to the club.

Leave the kid be.

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
Disappointed in Jon Anderson.

He drags this same bloody story out every 6 weeks.Maybe he was struggling to fill his quota of articles for the week.

 

[benny's buddy]

IMHO, I don't Nathan will ever play for Geelong. I'd very much like to be proved wrong but it seems very, very unlikely.

And what was with the story about the golf course guy?!?! Most pointless anecdote I've ever heard.

 

[leonmagic]

i dont understand - why would you want a kid who doesnt even want to play for you???



p*ss him off and grab a bloke who's hearts in it

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by leonmagic
i dont understand - why would you want a kid who doesnt even want to play for you???

p*ss him off and grab a bloke who's hearts in it

Did you have the same view when Chris Tarrant chucked it all in?

 

[leonmagic]

you bloody bet i did

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Collingwood's perserverence has paid off though, hasn't it?

When you have a talented player like Tarrant, you do all you can to get them to your club.

That is the exact situation with young Nathan.

 

[footyman]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
Disappointed in Jon Anderson. It's a nothing story, and he knows the more media, the less chance we have of getting Nathan down to the club.

Leave the kid be.

I agree.

But why don't you blame the Geelong Advertiser and that stupid ex-Cat Michael Turner who have continually pressed the issue for the last two years.

The kid doesn't want to play AFL, that's his choice. There are plenty of talented players around who waste that talent, Nathan isn't the only one.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by footyman

But why don't you blame the Geelong Advertiser and that stupid ex-Cat Michael Turner who have continually pressed the issue for the last two years.

I don't read The Geelong Advertiser.

Far too many people assume that because one supports Geelong, they must also live there.

 

[Rodion]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
I don't read The Geelong Advertiser.

Far too many people assume that because one supports Geelong, they must also live there.

Far too many people assume that because one lives in Geelong, they must read the Addie. I don't read the Addy, if I wanted to read today's Addy I'd read yesterday's Herald Sun.

Sports section excepted, of course.

 

[Sammy D]

Too many people assume that because somebody lives in Geelong that they support Geelong. Its a joke the amount of people i know that support other teams. The club should market itself more in the region.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by Sammy D
The club should market itself more in the region.

I'd prefer they put some effort into Melbourne supporters.

There are plenty of Melbourne based fans who aren't members, and most of the time the reason is because they feel unwanted.

I can understand that feeling, the club need to harness the support they receive, especially on the other side of the West Gate.

 

[catattack]

I wholeheartedly agree phat, but it doesn’t help when the Membership Promotions Coordinator is an Essendon supporter.

 

[jim boy]

Originally posted by catattack
I wholeheartedly agree phat, but it doesn’t help when the Membership Promotions Coordinator is an Essendon supporter.

I don't think it really matters who they support. For example I doubt Brian Cook was a cats supporter before he came to the club and may well not be one when he eventually leaves, but I wouldn't want anyone else doing his job.

 

[Sammy D]

Originally posted by phatandphreaky
I'd prefer they put some effort into Melbourne supporters.

How bout we wrap this up by saying they need to put a whole lot of effort in everywhere.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Works for me.

 

[Catman]

When the club focussed much of their attention to the Melbourne-based supporters, it came under criticism from many in Geelong that they were abandoning the local support. Now they have moved their focus back to the Geelong region and considering how much support we have down here but how few local members, you can see why.

But they are damned if they do, damned if they don't when it comes to something like this.

 

[Fall Out Boy]

Originally posted by Catman
When the club focussed much of their attention to the Melbourne-based supporters, it came under criticism from many in Geelong that they were abandoning the local support. Now they have moved their focus back to the Geelong region and considering how much support we have down here but how few local members, you can see why.

Those in the Geelong region are indelibly linked to the club, whereas we Melbournites, especially those in the South East, are disenfranchised.

Whilst i understand the clubs want to garner more support in the Geelong district, it's future growth depends on cultivating support in other regions.

 

[gwAllan]

Try living in Bendigo. Last season I was able to watch(TV) or listen to(radio) about one Geelong game in three. Looks like much the same in store this year too.

 

[GeeCat]

A small snipet from the HUN:

Ablett's quiet return

Nathan Ablett, son of former Geelong superstar Gary Ablett and younger brother of current Cat Gary Ablett Jr, has made a secret return to football.
The reluctant footballer, who rejected an offer to play with the Geelong Falcons, was selected in Modewarre's senior side last week.
But he was not publicly named so as to avoid what club officials believed would have been a media frenzy.
Modewarre president Trevor Anderson said the local league granted special permission to leave Ablett's name out of the team published in Friday's Geelong Advertiser. But it had to tell opponent Newcomb he would play.
Anderson said from now on Ablett's name would be published.
"We don't want 20 camera crews there to scare his off", Anderson told the Advertiser.
"Had he seen Channel 9 camera crews there, there's a chance he'd have done a U-turn and gone home."
Ablett, much taller than his older brother, missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury.
He played mainly at centre half-forward on Saturday, when Modewarre went down by 13 points.
Although the Cat's have been keen to take Ablett under the father-son rule, he has shown no interest in a league career.

---------


Amazing how the media can make such a big deal about a little thing like this. I don't blame Nathan for shying away from the spotlight with this sort of attention on him wherever he goes.

 

[benny's buddy]

Breaking news: Nathan Ablett was seen running to catch a bus. This is a clear sign he is in full training, ready to be selected by the Cats.

I'm with everyone else on this, I wish it wasn't reported every time he steps out in public. Just let the boy be.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

And Alan Horan can leave the old man alone while he's at it too

 

[JUBJUB]

Less than 2 months and Jon Anderson has dragged out the same story.

Cats no closer to young Ablett