Gary Ablett Sr. A footballing family Was their other members of his family that played football? Two of Ablett's brothers played in the Victorian Football League -
Were they as good as Ablett?
Were Gary Ablett Sr's brothers as good as Ablett?
Two of Ablett's brothers played in the Victorian Football League - Kevin Ablett, who played for Hawthorn, Richmond and Geelong, and Geoff Ablett, who played for Hawthorn, Richmond and St Kilda.  Ablett's eldest son, Gary Ablett Jr., has followed in his footsteps to play for Geelong. In 2007 and 2009, Ablett Jr. won the Cats' best and fairest award, emulating a feat established by his father in his first season with the Cats back in 1984; he also won the Brownlow Medal in 2009 and 2013. Another son, Nathan, was drafted in 2004 (48th pick) by Geelong under the father-son rule. Nathan initially refused to play AFL Football because of his father's experience with the media, but, with encouragement from the club, was signed ahead of the 2005 AFL Season and has since established himself in the full forward role Gary Snr made his own. On 29 September 2007, both Gary Jr. and Nathan contributed to Geelong winning its first flag in 44 years, capturing the premiership that proved elusive to Gary Snr in his 12 years at the club. Nathan retired suddenly before the 2008 season, but he and his brother Gary Jr. were members of the Gold Coast Football Club's inaugural team for the 2011 season.  In addition to his sons, Ablett has a nephew, Luke Ablett, who played for the Sydney Swans and won a premiership with them in 2005. Two other nephews, from his sister's marriage to Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck, also played in the AFL - Richmond's Shane Tuck and Travis Tuck, who played for Hawthorn. CANNOTANSWER
CANNOTANSWER
Gary Ablett Sr. (born 1 October 1961), is a former professional Australian rules footballer who represented  and  in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nicknamed "God", Ablett is widely regarded as one of Australian football's greatest players, and was especially renowned for his high-flying spectacular marks and his prolific goalkicking.

After playing for several country teams in and around his hometown of Drouin, Victoria, Ablett was recruited by Hawthorn and made his Victorian Football League (VFL) debut in 1982. However, he struggled to adjust to city life and retreated to Myrtleford the following year. The Geelong Football Club managed to lure him back to professional football in 1984, and by the late 80s, he had become one of the VFL's biggest stars. His 1989 VFL Grand Final appearance, during which he kicked a grand final record nine goals for a losing side, is regarded as one of football's greatest individual performances, earning him the Norm Smith Medal. At the beginning of the 1991 season, Ablett shocked the football world by abruptly announcing his retirement from the game, but made a comeback midway through the year. He went on to appear in the 1992, 1994, and 1995 grand finals, before officially retiring after the 1996 season.

Ablett's individual accolades and achievements include an induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, an AFL Team of the Century selection, the 1993 AFL Players Association MVP award (now known as the Leigh Matthews Trophy), and three Coleman Medals. He remains Geelong's all-time leading goalkicker, with 1021 goals; and, in 2006, was voted by past and present Geelong Football Club players as the greatest Geelong footballer of all time.

Early life

Born in Drouin to Alfred and Colleen Ablett, Gary Ablett grew up in Gippsland, Victoria alongside his four elder brothers and three sisters. Ablett displayed a love for sport at an early age, winning the state school high jump at 10 years of age. He was also awarded both club and competition best and fairest awards for Drouin at the under-11s, under-12s and under-14s levels.

After his interest waned in attending school, Ablett dropped out of high school at 15 to become a bricklayer's labourer. He also began to concentrate on his football and joined his brothers in the Drouin senior team at just 16 years of age. After appearing in several country league representative games, the Hawthorn Football Club, which had already signed Gary's elder brothers Geoff and Kevin onto their lists, invited him to play reserves football.

Career

AFL

The Hawthorn experience (1981–1983)
After signing a reserves contract and featuring in six reserves games for Hawthorn, Ablett retreated back to his home in Drouin. He returned to Hawthorn in 1982 and made his senior VFL debut versus Geelong in Round 2, kicking 1 goal and helping the Hawks defeat the Cats by 19 points. He played a further five games for Hawthorn that year for a total of six games and ten goals. Ablett claimed difficulty coping with city life in Melbourne and his continual absenteeism from training sessions forced Hawthorn coach, Allan Jeans into parting ways with the talented, but wayward young half forward.

In 1983, he moved with his young family to the country town of Myrtleford. Ablett spent the year playing under the tutelage of his cousin Len Ablett for Myrtleford in the Ovens and Murray Football League. Ablett's footballing ability soon came on notice again, this time to the Geelong Football Club and their long-time recruiting officer Bill McMaster. McMaster convinced Ablett to give the game another shot, this time in the confines of the rural city of Geelong. After protracted negotiations with Hawthorn, Geelong finally paid a $60,000 transfer for Ablett in 1984.

The early years at Geelong (1984–1988)
Ablett signed a one-year contract for the 1984 season with Geelong, and he began his first season under the guidance of Tom Hafey. He debuted for the Cats in Round 7 and after just nine games on the wing, Ablett was selected to his first State of Origin game for Victoria. Ablett earned best-on-ground honours after kicking 8 goals from the half-forward flank. He played 15 games and kicked 33 goals in the 1984 season, and was awarded the Carji Greeves Medal as the Geelong Football Club's "best and fairest" player of the year. Following his first season with Geelong, Ablett signed a new three-year contract with the club.

Playing mostly on the half forward flank, Ablett won the club's goalkicking award for the following two seasons with 82 and 65 goals respectively. Although Ablett had developed a reputation for his laconic, lazy attitude to training under coach John Devine, this did not prevent him from earning top three placings in the best and fairest awards from 1985 to 1987.

With his contract expiring at the conclusion of the 1987 season, Ablett shocked the VFL by signing a new five-year contract with his former club, Hawthorn. After a "cooling-off" period, however, Ablett opted to remain with Geelong by agreeing to a lucrative five-year contract that tied him to the club for the long-term.

Ablett began the 1988 season with 59 goals after just 11 games, placing him second on the goalkicking list behind Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall. In these games, he kicked 10 goals against Richmond in the Anzac Day game, and 11 against Brisbane—one shy of breaking the ground record of 12 goals at Carrara. Although he missed out on State honours and failed to place within the top three in the club best and fairest award, Ablett finished with 82 goals during the season for the second time in his career.

A September to remember (1989–1990)

The 1989 season was marked by the arrival of Ablett's third coach, former North Melbourne Brownlow Medallist Malcolm Blight. Ablett helped the Cats reach the finals on the back of a ten match winning streak to end the regular season. In a 134-point victory against Richmond, Ablett scored 14 goals, breaking a 22-year club record, and moving club legend and former club premiership coach Bobby Davis to laud Ablett as the equal of the legendary Graham 'Polly' Farmer, the finest footballers he had seen at Geelong. His season lowlight occurred in Round 12 when he was suspended for 3 matches after he controversially felled the Melbourne captain, Gary Lyon behind the play.

In his first ever final, the Qualifying Final at the MCG versus Essendon, Gary Ablett kicked three goals, but this was not enough. The Bombers humbled Geelong by 76 points to force the Cats into a sudden-death Semi Final showdown with Melbourne. The Cats posted a 63-point win against the Demons. Ablett kicked seven goals, and helped set up another meeting with Essendon in the Preliminary Final. Ablett kicked 8 goals this time, as the Cats crushed Essendon by 94 points to advance to their first grand final since 1967.

Against the reigning premiers Hawthorn in the 1989 VFL Grand Final, Ablett asserted himself from the opening bounce, leading out from full forward, marking the first centre clearance kick and slotting through the game's first goal. By half-time, Ablett had kicked four goals, but the Cats trailed at the main break by 37 points. Ablett kicked a further five goals in the second half, which saw an injury-depleted Hawthorn's lead reduced to just 6 points with less than a minute to go. However, the Cats fell short, and Hawthorn held on to defeat Geelong in one of the toughest grand finals of the modern era, winning by 6 points. Ablett's performance in kicking 9 goals earned him the Norm Smith Medal, and in doing so became only the second member of the losing team in VFL/AFL history to be awarded the honour – a performance regarded by many as unrivalled on football's biggest stage. Ablett's 9 goals also saw him equal Gordon Coventry's goals record set in the 1928 Grand Final.

Shock retirement and return (1991–1992)

On 1 February 1991, Ablett, aged 29, stunned most football fans when he announced his retirement, citing personal reasons and a loss of enjoyment for the game. His previous season in 1990 was marred by injury, dipping motivation, and personal issues, including a separation from his wife. He was eventually encouraged to reverse his decision and he made his return in Round 12 for the Geelong reserves team. This generated enormous media interest and drew an abnormally large crowd for the curtain-raiser game at Princes Park. 
Ablett was named in the senior side for the following game against , which drew a crowd of over 40,000 to the MCG. He had ten possessions and kicked two goals, one of them an important steadier for the Cats in the last quarter after the Demons had closed to within 24 points. Due to his late season start and lack of conditioning, it was probably no surprise that Ablett failed to recapture his best form, ending his season on a sour note when he was suspended for striking St Kilda rover Nathan Burke in the first week of the finals, and he subsequently missed Geelong's finals defeats to Hawthorn and West Coast.

Ablett put the disappointment of 1991 behind him, and he dedicated himself to improving his fitness base ahead of the 1992 season. A consistent first half of the year helped the Cats achieve an 11–3 record, eventually earning them a spot in the grand final—this time against the West Coast Eagles. After establishing a two-goal lead at half-time, the Cats failed to sustain their momentum during the second half, eventually going down by 28 points to the fast-finishing Eagles. Ablett, who finished with 3 goals, had again failed to finish the year with the same good form in which he had begun it.

One special season (1993)

Before the 1993 season, Ablett was encouraged by his coach, Malcolm Blight, to move from his customary roaming half-forward position to full-forward, in an effort to prolong his career. The move up forward proved to be a master-stroke, with Ablett thriving in his goal-kicking role, reaching the 50-goal mark in just six games, equalling the sixty-year record of South Melbourne legend Bob Pratt. He brought up his maiden century of goals in the season just eight games later, one game slower than record-holder Pratt, and became the first Geelong player to kick 100 goals in a season since Larry Donohue in 1976. Although the Cats did not make the Finals, Ablett's new-found dominance up forward was highlighted during the season with his bags of ten or more goals on five occasions, including a 14-goal performance against Essendon in Round 6. His end-of-season total of 124 goals, achieved in just 17 appearances, earned him his first Coleman Medal as the League's leading goal-scorer, the Leigh Matthews Trophy, the AFMA Player of the Year Award, and a top-ten placing in the Brownlow Medal.

1993 to 1996

Ablett continued his dominance as a full-forward in 1994 and 1995 by winning the Coleman Medal in each year. Ablett is the only player in VFL/AFL history to kick 100 goals and win the Coleman Medal in three successive seasons. In addition to his explosive pace and skills, Ablett was also an accomplished aerialist with strong hands. A highlight was the 1994 Mark of the Year over Collingwood's Gary Pert on Mother's Day at the MCG, a mark which is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport. There is still debate over whether he had enough control of the ball to be paid a mark.

In early 1996, Ablett was suspended for five games for striking St Kilda's 172 cm Kristian Bardsley with a raised forearm. He later remarked that his lengthy suspension was the "beginning of the end", and he finished out the season with 69 goals in 17 games. His last AFL appearance was against North Melbourne in a Qualifying Final in 1996. Ablett managed to kick only one goal in a disappointing 60-point loss. In October 1996, he missed Geelong's first training session and was fined $10,000.

On 22 November 1996, Ablett was admitted to hospital with a severe bout of gastro. On 28 November, Ablett faced traffic charges.

1997 end of career
Ablett was ready to start the serious training with the club by the first week of January. By February, it was reported that he was still under pressure to improve his fitness. In March, Geelong confirmed that Ablett would play in 1997. On Sunday, 31 March 1997, Ablett played in the reserves against Richmond. Gary booted 7 goals but injured his knee. Three days later, on 3 April, he underwent arthroscopic surgery. In early June, Ablett had still not recovered; he faced knee surgery. During the preliminary finals in September, he announced his retirement from football.

State of Origin
Ablett had a prolific State of Origin career, kicking 43 goals in 11 games. He was first selected to play for Victoria in 1984, against Western Australia, only nine games into his career at Geelong, kicking 8 goals in a best-on-ground performance.

He performed well again the following year, kicking 4 goals against South Australia.  In the following few years Ablett was largely out of the side, apart from 1987, when he kicked 2 goals against South Australia.  Ablett again performed at the highest level in 1990, kicking 6 goals, against Western Australia in Perth.  After returning from retirement midway through 1991, and after only several games, Ablett was controversially selected for Victoria, kicking 2 goals. In 1992 Ablett performed well, kicking 3 goals and being named among the best players, against Western Australia.

In 1993, he kicked 4 goals, against a combined New South Wales–Australian Capital Territory side, and in the same year Ablett again performed on the big stage, kicking 5 goals in the State of Origin Carnival Grand Final. In 1994, he kicked 4 goals, against South Australia, in what has been regarded as "one of the greatest Australian football games of all time" and followed up that performance with 4 goals against South Australia in 1995.  On representing Victoria, Ablett has said "I've always found it a tremendous honour to represent your state, in a State of Origin game".

Legacy
Ablett combined strength, speed, and skill to produce many spectacular highlights and goal-kicking feats. A noted big game player, Ablett kicked 43 goals in 11 State appearances. More significantly, he booted 64 goals over the course of his 16 finals – an average of four goals a game. His haul of 27 goals in the 1989 finals series is a record that still stands. He was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his performance in the 1989 Grand Final, where he was adjudged best player afield. In doing so, he became one of only four players (the others being Maurice Rioli −1982, Nathan Buckley −2002, and Chris Judd −2005) to win the medal playing for the losing side. In 1996, Ablett joined Gordon Coventry, Doug Wade, Jason Dunstall and Tony Lockett as the only players in league history to kick 1000 VFL/AFL goals.

Martin Flanagan's representation of Australian football pioneer Tom Wills in his 1996 novel The Call is modeled on Ablett. According to Flanagan, Wills and Ablett polarised opinion in similar ways, and displayed a lack of insight into their actions—they simply did what came naturally to them, "like a lot of artists". Ablett is the subject of the song "Kicking the Footy with God", released by The Bedroom Philosopher on his 2005 debut album In Bed with My Doona.

In 1996, Ablett was named in the AFL Team of the Century on the interchange bench, alongside Jack Dyer and Greg Williams. In 2001, Ablett was named in the Geelong Team of the Century, on a half forward flank. In 2005, after many years of controversy and debate (see below), he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. The following year, he was honoured yet again when he was voted as the Greatest Geelong player of all-time ahead of Graham Farmer.

In 2006, Ablett was honoured with the naming of a terrace in his name within the newly renovated Skilled Stadium. Ablett once had a set of gates named in his honour, but he was upgraded to a terrace at the beginning of the 2006 AFL season.

Induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Despite his footballing achievements on the field, Ablett's induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame was initially delayed. Despite Ablett's undoubted footballing credentials, his well-publicised contribution to the death of Alisha Horan was responsible for the Australian Football Hall of Fame committee's reluctance to induct him. In 2004, after several years of speculation over his induction, Ablett personally requested that the Geelong Football Club stop nominating him for selection, which the club agreed to. However, the following year it was announced that Ablett would be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the 2005 intake.

Ablett did not attend the induction ceremony and instead released a statement through his then-manager, Michael Baker:
"Due to my current battle with depression I am not in a position to be able to accept this award in person. I did not make this decision lightly but due to medical advice it was deemed best for my health that I do not attend tonight.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to play this great game and also to have played at the elite level alongside many celebrated champions.  Being chosen to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is one of the highest honours a player could dream of.  I thank those who deem me worthy enough to be placed alongside such respected company."

Personal life
The youngest of eight children, Ablett grew up alongside four elder brothers and three elder sisters. In 1985, Ablett wed his long-time girlfriend Sue, and the couple had four children – Natasha, Gary Jr., Nathan, and Alisha.

In 1986, Ablett became a born-again Christian and has been said to be slightly aggrieved at constantly being referred to as "God" by fans, a nickname based on his supreme football abilities. Ablett's faith was often highlighted in several tribunal appearances, in one case confessing and pleading guilty to striking Garry Lyon in a 1989 incident, declaring he "wasn't prepared to lie about it or compromise the truth in [his] relationship with God". Ablett's public acknowledgement of his faith, in particular the influence of God in his life, during his acceptance speech for the Norm Smith Medal in the 1989 Grand Final, was also much publicised.

On 26 June 2006, Ablett was allegedly assaulted at 11:15pm while browsing through a car yard in Fyans Street, South Geelong. A 31-year-old Geelong man was charged with the assault. However, he was reported to have committed suicide on 10 July 2006 by jumping from a Melbourne high-rise apartment block the day before he was due to appear before the Geelong Magistrates court to defend the assault charges.

In December 2007, Ablett hit back at media claims that his son Nathan had walked away from his football career because of the publicity surrounding the release of a new book about his father. Although normally reluctant to make public comments, Ablett felt that the media intrusion into his family life had gone too far. As part of a series of books, "Legends of Australian Sport", Ablett contributed to a book regarding himself. It was the first time he revealed intimate details regarding his life publicly.

In September 2020, Ablett released a 27-minute YouTube video discussing his belief in the rapture as being forthcoming. In this video, he declared that the COVID-19 pandemic had been manufactured and released by the Illuminati and Freemasons in order to depopulate Earth, create a cashless society and "put Lucifer on the throne of the world".

A footballing family
Two of Ablett's brothers played in the Victorian Football League –  Kevin Ablett, who played for Hawthorn, Richmond and Geelong, and Geoff Ablett, who played for Hawthorn, Richmond and St Kilda.

Ablett's eldest son, Gary Jr., has followed in his footsteps to play for Geelong. In 2007 and 2009, Ablett Jr. won the Cats' best and fairest award, emulating a feat established by his father in his first season with the Cats back in 1984; he also won the Brownlow Medal in 2009 and 2013. Another son, Nathan, was drafted in 2004 (48th pick) by Geelong under the father-son rule. Nathan initially refused to play AFL Football because of his father's experience with the media, but, with encouragement from the club, was signed ahead of the 2005 AFL Season and established himself in the full forward role Gary Sr. made his own.

On 29 September 2007, both Gary Jr. and Nathan contributed to Geelong winning its first flag in 44 years, capturing the premiership that proved elusive to Gary Snr in his 12 years at the club. Nathan retired suddenly before the 2008 season, but he and his brother Gary Jr. were members of the Gold Coast Football Club's inaugural team for the 2011 season.

In addition to his sons, Ablett has a nephew, Luke Ablett, who played for the Sydney Swans and won a premiership with them in 2005. Two other nephews, from his sister's marriage to Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck, also played in the AFL – Richmond's Shane Tuck and Travis Tuck, who played for Hawthorn.

Criminal offences
Ablett had well-documented off-field problems, particularly with illegal drug use, and depression in the wake of the Alisha Horan death. In 1990, Ablett was placed on a $10,000 good behaviour bond after he pleaded guilty to repeatedly hitting a man he found sitting in a car with his estranged wife.

In 2000, Ablett was investigated, charged and convicted of four drug offences as a result of nineteen-year-old Geelong woman Alisha Horan dying of a drug overdose (involving heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines) while in Ablett's hotel room. After a prolonged period of refusing to answer police questions and refusing to answer questions at an April 2001 inquest (on the grounds that he may incriminate himself) – Ablett later admitted to providing Horan with heroin and ecstasy. Horan had found a small quantity of heroin in Ablett's coat pocket and asked him what it was. Rather than admit that it was heroin, Ablett told her it was cocaine, which they both then ingested, leading to Horan's overdose. Ablett wasn't charged with manslaughter, but pleaded guilty to four lesser charges, was convicted, and fined $1500.

Statistics

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1982
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 35 || 6 || 11 || 13 || 47 || 21 || 68 || 26 ||  || 1.5 || 2.2 || 7.8 || 3.5 || 11.3 || 4.3 || 
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1984
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 15 || 33 || 28 || 238 || 61 || 299 || 86 ||  || 2.2 || 1.9 || 15.9 || 4.1 || 19.9 || 5.7 || 
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1985
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 20 || 82 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 67 || 274 || 62 || 336 || 135 ||  || 4.1 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.4 || 13.7 || 3.1 || 16.8 || 6.8 || 
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1986
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 15 || 65 || 49 || 185 || 39 || 224 || 101 ||  || 4.3 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.3 || 12.3 || 2.6 || 14.9 || 6.7 || 
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1987
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 17 || 53 || 38 || 200 || 46 || 246 || 86 || 19 || 3.1 || 2.2 || 11.8 || 2.7 || 14.5 || 5.1 || 1.1
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 21 || 82 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 62 || 253 || 42 || 295 || 117 || 19 || 3.9 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.0 || 12.0 || 2.0 || 14.0 || 5.6 || 0.9
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 23 || 87 || 54 || 378 || 68 || 446 || 151 || 29 || 3.8 || 2.3 || 16.4 || 3.0 || 19.4 || 6.6 || 1.3
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 17 || 75 || 43 || 224 || 47 || 271 || 100 || 21 || 4.4 || 2.5 || 13.2 || 2.8 || 15.9 || 5.9 || 1.2
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1991
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 12 || 28 || 27 || 144 || 21 || 165 || 55 || 20 || 2.3 || 2.3 || 12.0 || 1.8 || 13.8 || 4.6 || 1.7
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1992
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 21 || 72 || 54 || 324 || 61 || 385 || 118 || 33 || 3.4 || 2.6 || 15.4 || 2.9 || 18.3 || 5.6 || 1.6
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1993
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 17 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 124 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 60 || 233 || 13 || 246 || 111 || 10 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 7.3 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.5 || 13.7 || 0.8 || 14.5 || 6.5 || 0.6
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1994
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 25 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 129 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 79 || 263 || 30 || 293 || 130 || 15 || 5.2 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.2 || 10.5 || 1.2 || 11.7 || 5.2 || 0.6
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1995
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 22 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 122 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 85 || 264 || 19 || 283 || 148 || 18 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 5.5 || bgcolor="DD6E81"| 3.9 || 12.0 || 0.9 || 12.9 || 6.7 || 0.8
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1996
|style="text-align:center;"|
| 5 || 17 || 69 || 31 || 159 || 31 || 190 || 71 || 13 || 4.1 || 1.8 || 9.4 || 1.8 || 11.2 || 4.2 || 0.8
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 248
! 1031
! 690
! 3186
! 561
! 3747
! 1435
! 197
! 4.2
! 2.8
! 12.8
! 2.3
! 15.1
! 5.8
! 1.0
|}

Honours and achievements
Team
 McClelland Trophy (): 1992

Individual
 Norm Smith Medal: 1989
 3× Coleman Medal: 1993, 1994, 1995
 4× All-Australian team: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
 Carji Greeves Medal: 1984
 Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFL MVP Award): 1993
 9× Geelong leading goalkicker: 1985, 1986, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
 Geelong Team of the Century
 Geelong captain: 1995–1996
 2× Alex Jesaulenko Medal: 1985, 1994
 Geelong F.C. Hall of Fame
 Australian Sports Medal: 2000
 Centenary Medal: 2001
 Australian Football League Team of the Century 1897-1996
 VFL/AFL players with 1,000 goals
 8× State of Origin (Victoria): 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 (c)
 Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year: 1993Australian Football Hall of Fame: 2005 Inductee5th on all-time leading goal-kickersAll-time leading goal kicker for Geelong F.C. (1021 goals)Only player to have won Coleman Medal and kicked 100 goals in three consecutive seasons (1993–1995)Oldest player to kick 100 goals in a season (33 years old in 1995)Most goals in an AFL/VFL Grand Final (9 goals in 1989 Grand Final)Most goals in an AFL/VFL finals series (27 goals in 1989)Highest goals-per-game ratio in Geelong F.C. history (4.22 goals per game)4-time runner-up in Carji Greeves Medal (1985, 1993, 1994, 1995)3-time third-place getter in Carji Greeves Medal (1986, 1989, 1990)'''

See also

After the siren kicks in Australian rules football
 Alf Williamson

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links 

Gary Ablett's profile at AustralianFootball.com

1961 births
Gary
All-Australians (AFL)
Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees
Carji Greeves Medal winners
Coleman Medal winners
Geelong Football Club players
Hawthorn Football Club players
Leigh Matthews Trophy winners
Living people
Norm Smith Medal winners
Sportspeople from Geelong
Victorian State of Origin players
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)
Myrtleford Football Club players
Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
Recipients of the Centenary Medal
Australian Christians
Gary Ablett Jr. (born 14 May 1984) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club and Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). The eldest son of Australian Football Hall of Fame member and former Hawthorn and Geelong player Gary Ablett Sr., Ablett was drafted to Geelong under the father–son rule in the 2001 national draft and has since become recognised as one of the all-time great midfielders. Ablett is a dual premiership player, dual Brownlow Medallist, five-time Leigh Matthews Trophy winner, three-time AFLCA champion player of the year award winner and eight-time All-Australian.

During his first stint at Geelong, Ablett won two premierships, two Carji Greeves Medals, a Geelong leading goalkicker award and the 2009 Brownlow Medal. He is also a life member of the club and has been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame. At Gold Coast, Ablett was the club's inaugural captain, holding the role for the club's first six seasons, and won four Gold Coast Suns Club Champion awards (including the first three in the club's history), two Gold Coast leading goalkicker awards and the 2013 Brownlow Medal, the first Brownlow Medal in the club's history. Between 2014 and 2018, Ablett suffered a number of setbacks through injury; despite this, Ablett played 357 games, the thirteenth-most in VFL/AFL history at the time.

Early life
Gary Ablett Jr. was born to Gary and Sue Ablett in the country town of Modewarre, outside the regional centre of Geelong, Victoria. As the eldest boy among four siblings, Ablett's childhood coincided with the peak of his father's footballing career. Along with his brother Nathan, Ablett would regularly attend his father's training sessions and weekly games. Geelong players regarded them as "barefooted pests in the rooms", and would often engage in kick-to-kick sessions with both of the boys. He attended Christian College Geelong during his schooling years.

Ablett played junior football with the Modewarre Football Club until he was chosen to play for the Geelong Falcons in the under–18 TAC Cup competition for the 2001 season. Ablett's selection was met with controversy, as some families of other prospective junior players felt Ablett was chosen on the basis of his famous family heritage rather than footballing merit. However, the Falcons' football manager Mick Turner repeatedly dismissed speculation. Nonetheless, as the son of a popular and famous football player from Geelong, Ablett attracted a large following even at junior level. Although he was still a bottom-aged player, Ablett received mid-year State honours for Victoria Country during the 2001 National Championships. After spending one year in the TAC Cup, Ablett entered his name into the 2001 AFL draft at the conclusion of the 2001 season.

AFL career

First stint at Geelong (2002–2010)

2002–2006: Early years
Ablett was drafted by  with their fifth selection, and was the fortieth overall draft pick in the 2001 AFL draft under the father–son rule. Ablett made his senior debut for the club in the opening round of the 2002 AFL season, where he gathered 8 disposals and took 4 marks. Ablett made twelve senior appearances in total during the season, before spending the latter half of the year with the reserves team. Playing as a small forward, he helped the club's reserves team win the 2002 VFL premiership against Port Melbourne. After achieving premiership success with the reserves team in the previous year, Ablett established his position in the senior side the following season. Ablett alternated as a small forward and midfielder, scoring 26 goals and appearing in all of Geelong's senior fixtures during the 2003 AFL season. In round 2 in a loss against North Melbourne he received his first Brownlow vote, in a performance in which he registered 22 disposals and a goal. Ablett finished the year ranked first at the club for tackles (77) and inside 50s (89), as well as second for hard-ball gets (65). Following another season without participation in the finals series, Ablett and his teammates began their 2004 campaign with an appearance in the pre-season competition final against . Geelong would qualify for its first finals series in four years, being eliminated in the preliminary final by the . Ablett made 21 appearances in total over the course of the season, and kicked a career-high 35 goals. He once again finished the year ranked first within the club for total tackles (93), and was awarded the club's Best Team and Most Constructive Player award at the end of the season.

The following year, Geelong again qualified for the finals series, progressing through to the semi-finals, before a three-point loss to  ended their season. Ablett's consistency, reflected with his appearance in all senior games during the year and team-high 86 tackles, was rewarded with a third-place finishing in the Carji Greeves Medal as the club's best and fairest player. After consecutive appearances in the finals series, Ablett and Geelong were expected to challenge for the premiership once again in 2006. The club's 2006 campaign began successfully when they captured the pre-season NAB Cup, winning their first pre-season premiership since 1961. During the season, Ablett kicked a career-high six goals against  in round twelve, before making his 100th senior appearance for the club in round 22 against . However, the Cats only managed to win 10 games throughout the season and did not qualify for the finals series. Ablett finished the season with 35 goals to win the club's leading goalkicker award and once again place third in the Carji Greeves Medal.

2007–2008: First premiership and team success

After playing his first five seasons as a small forward who occasionally pushed up the ground, Ablett made a permanent move to the midfield in 2007. He helped the Cats finish the home-and-away season first on the ladder to win the McClelland Trophy and qualify for the finals series. Geelong progressed through to the 2007 AFL Grand Final, in which they defeated  by a record 119 points to win their first premiership since 1963. Ablett recorded 19 disposals, one goal, and an equal game-high eight tackles in the grand final victory. Ablett played in all 25 games for the year and gained a number of individual accolades. After winning his first premiership, he also achieved All-Australian honours for the first time in his career. Despite being the favourite to win the 2007 Brownlow Medal, he finished equal-sixth with 20 votes behind teammate Jimmy Bartel on 29 votes. However, his breakthrough season was recognised by the AFL Players Association as they awarded him the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the league's most valuable player. Ablett also became the youngest ever recipient of the AFL Coaches' Association (AFLCA) 'Champion Player of the Year' Award and the Australian Football Media Association (AFMA) 'Player of the Year' Award. Ablett also claimed two of the major media awards; the Herald Sun Player of the Year and The Age Player of the Year awards. Ablett completed his sweep of individual awards when he was awarded the Carji Greeves Medal as Geelong's best and fairest player for the first time in his career. Ablett's breakthrough season was highlighted by his increased output in several major statistical categories: Ablett increased his disposal average to 26.7 (from 16.9 the previous season), kicks per game to 14.3 (from 10.1), and handpasses per game to 12.4 (from 6.8). He ranked first at the club and second within the league for total disposals (667) and total kicks (358), and also second for total handballs (309).

Ablett continued to establish his position as one of the premier players of the competition during the 2008 AFL season. He helped the Cats achieve a record-equalling 21-win season and secure the McClelland Trophy for the second successive year. His standout season was recognised early on when he was selected to play for the Victorian state team in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match. However, a groin injury prevented him from participating in the all-star event. Having qualified for the finals series in the first position on the ladder, Geelong progressed through to the grand final for the second successive year; despite losing only one game during the home-and-away season, Geelong failed to capture the premiership as they were defeated by  in the grand final. Ablett's performance in the final, during which he recorded a game-high 34 possessions, five tackles, eight inside 50s, and kicked an equal-team-high two goals, was recognised as he placed second in Norm Smith Medal voting for best afield in the grand final. Ablett featured in 21 games for the season and was awarded All-Australian honours for the second successive year. Despite entering the 2008 Brownlow Medal count as the favourite once again, Ablett tallied 22 votes to finish third behind Adam Cooney. However, Ablett's performances throughout the year were further recognised when he was awarded the AFLPA Leigh Matthews Trophy and AFL Coaches' Association 'Champion Player of the Year' awards for the second consecutive season. After increasing his disposal average once again to 28.9 possessions per game, Ablett finished runner-up for the Carji Greeves Medal to teammate Joel Corey. His 606 disposals ranked ninth in the league, while his 318 handpasses throughout the season ranked him fourth within the competition. Geelong coach Mark Thompson described Ablett's 2008 season as "amazing" and implied he was unsure if Ablett could improve any more. Thompson cited that he believed Ablett to be "at the top of his game".

2009–2010: First Brownlow Medal and second premiership

Ablett was appointed to the club's seven-man leadership group and inducted into the Geelong Football Club Hall of Fame prior to the 2009 AFL season. Following the 2008 AFL Grand Final loss, Thompson suggested that Ablett would become a more prominent player in the forward line to provide the team with another goal-scoring option. Ablett and his teammates began their 2009 campaign by winning the pre-season NAB Cup for the second time in four years. Ablett recorded 35 disposals and kicked three goals to place second for the Michael Tuck Medal as the player judged best afield in the final. In round four, Ablett made his 150th senior appearance for the club against Adelaide and gained life membership with Geelong in the process. Ablett went on to tie Nathan Buckley's then-record of 46 disposals in a game while also setting a new record for most handpasses in a game (33). Ablett's proficiency in finding the football saw him reach 40 or more disposals in a game a record six times throughout the season, and 30 or more disposals fifteen times. However, Ablett's critics accused him of playing selfishly in pursuit of individual honours ahead of team values. Commentators such as Tim Watson claimed that Ablett had "become obsessed with the whole idea of going out there and being the best player" in order to win the Brownlow Medal. Despite this, Ablett helped Geelong finish the home-and-away campaign with an 18–4 win-loss record to finish second on the ladder and qualify for the finals series. After wins against the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, Geelong progressed through to the Grand Final for the third successive season. During the final, Ablett gathered 25 disposals, six tackles, five inside-50s, and kicked one goal to help the Cats defeat St Kilda by 12 points and capture the premiership for the second time in three years.

Ablett's performances throughout the season were recognised at the 2009 AFL Players Association awards, where he was awarded his third consecutive Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Player's Association Most Valuable Player. Ablett's victory saw him become the first player in history to win the award three times. Ablett also won his third consecutive AFL Coaches' Association 'Champion Player of the Year' Award and was further acknowledged for his record-breaking season when awarded the 2009 Brownlow Medal. Ablett polled 30 votes to win the award despite missing the most games (3) by any Brownlow winner since the 22-round season was introduced in 1994. Ablett's role in Geelong's premiership-winning campaign was further recognised at the conclusion of the season, when he was co-awarded his second Carji Greeves Medal alongside Corey Enright. Ablett averaged a career-high and league-leading 33.8 possessions per game throughout the season. Ablett also led the league in total handpasses (445), handpasses per game (20.2) and contested possessions (256). His 744 total disposals during the season also ranked second within the league, while his 494 uncontested possessions ranked fourth.

After the 2009 season, and indeed at many points during the season, speculation continued to mount that Ablett would leave Geelong at the end of 2010 and join the AFL's newest team, . Despite the rumours, Ablett continued his own individual success, recording career-high totals in disposals (756), marks (106) and goals (44). Ablett would serve as the runner-up for several awards at the end of the home-and-away season, including the Carji Greeves Medal and Brownlow Medal. On 29 September, it was announced that Ablett would be joining Gold Coast in what was understood to be a multimillion-dollar deal.

Gold Coast (2011–2017)

2011–2015: Second Brownlow Medal and injury struggles

On 29 September 2010, Ablett signed a five-year contract valued at $9 million with the Gold Coast Football Club, a side entering the AFL for the first time in 2011. On 19 January 2011, after much speculation, Ablett was named the inaugural captain of the Suns. In the club's inaugural season, Gold Coast finished last on the ladder with a 3–19 win-loss record, meaning that Ablett missed out on playing in a final for the first time in five years; he still had a great individual season, finishing with career-highs in tackles (119) and clearances (133) and being named captain in the 2011 All-Australian team. In 2012, Ablett continued his individual success, winning his fourth Leigh Matthews Trophy and finishing the season with a career-high in kicks (389). In 2013, Ablett had a tremendous season, leading the league in average disposals (31.2) and taking home his second consecutive (and fifth overall) Leigh Matthews Trophy. He also won his second Brownlow Medal, becoming the first Gold Coast player to win the award and the 14th player in VFL/AFL history to win it twice. Ablett became the fifth player to win Brownlow Medals at different clubs, joining Ian Stewart, Peter Moore, Greg Williams and Chris Judd. Ablett had a career-best season in 2014, averaging 32 possessions and kicking 24 goals before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the Sun's win against Collingwood in round 16. Despite playing only 15 games, he finished equal-third in the Brownlow Medal with 22 votes.

Ablett's shoulder injury affected his 2015 preseason, but he took the field in the Suns' opening game against . He scored two goals and had 19 disposals in the loss, then had 23 disposals and kicked one goal in the round 2 loss to St Kilda, but laid only one tackle across the two games. The shoulder was still causing problems, and the Suns' medical staff sidelined him indefinitely before the round 3 clash with Geelong. Dr Peter Larkins stated four weeks later that the status of Ablett's injury meant that he could "miss the majority of the season". By the end of May, Ablett began to draw criticism from media personalities such as Garry Lyon and Jonathan Brown for his supposed lack of leadership in the struggling Suns side. On top of their numerous losses, some Suns players were displaying poor discipline and Lyon considered Ablett was not doing enough to prevent off-field indiscretions. When he refused to discuss the issues with Lyon on Triple M, Lyon described Ablett as "immature". The following Monday on Fox Footy's On The Couch program, Jonathan Brown lashed Ablett for not taking the field, claiming he was cleared to play by Suns medicos and he should "play through the pain". Ablett addressed these criticisms with a press conference on June 3 saying it was not just an issue of pain and to return early would be "selfish". On AFL 360, Ablett's former coach Mark Thompson defended his decision not to play, stating that Ablett's high standards meant that he would not want to take the field if he could not give 100% effort. Ablett eventually returned for the round 14 game against ; although starting quietly, he was instrumental in the win, gaining 31 disposals and kicking three goals. He continued to perform well in the next two games, racking up 30 disposals in each and kicking four goals, however he was struck down with a season-ending injury in round 17, suffering a medial ligament tear to the left knee in the first quarter of the Suns' loss to . The recovery time required meant that he did not play again in the 2015 season.

2016–2017: Further injury struggles and trade requests

Ablett played 14 games for Gold Coast in 2016, averaging 27 disposals and six tackles per game. However, he suffered another season-ending shoulder injury during the round 16 win over Brisbane. He polled six votes in the 2016 Brownlow Medal, taking him to a total of 220 career votes; the equal-highest number in history (alongside Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell). In addition he has now received votes in 103 games, placing him second on the list of total games in which votes were awarded to a single player. During the 2016 trade period, Ablett requested a trade back to Geelong for "family reasons." Ablett later stepped down as Suns' captain, stating he was unsure if he would play on after the 2017 season.

In the early rounds of the 2017 season, speculation about his commitment to the Suns escalated after the team lost the first two matches. He was criticised by experts such as Matthew Lloyd for his poor performance in the Suns' 102-point loss to , who said Ablett needed to "suck it up" as he was no longer playing in the midfield and was now in forced to play in a position he did not enjoy. Following the 2017 AFL season, Ablett won his fourth Gold Coast Suns Club Champion award, despite playing only 14 games. He polled 14 votes in the 2017 Brownlow Medal count, taking him to outright second all-time career votes behind Gary Dempsey. By polling 3 votes in 3 rounds of the 2017 season, he became the first player to receive the maximum 3 votes in 50 matches.

On 26 September 2017, Gold Coast announced that Ablett had requested a trade back to Geelong. It was reported that Ablett was seeking a return home for "family reasons", and if no trade was forthcoming, he would quit football despite being contracted to play at Gold Coast until the end of 2018.

Second stint at Geelong (2018–2020)

In October 2017, Ablett was traded back to Geelong. His 2018 preseason was impacted by injury followed by a significant injury in the Round 3 loss to West Coast. Upon his return, Ablett drew criticism from AFL media figures such as Wayne Carey, who believed that Ablett should not be played in the Cats' midfield. Following his return from injury, Ablett's form quickly improved, with a best on ground performance in the win over North Melbourne in Round 12 equalling Sam Mitchell's record of 121 games with 30 or more possessions.

After a strong start to the 2019 season, Ablett was offered a one-match suspension, which would have been the first of his career, after striking Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel with a forearm to the head in the Cats' round 7 win; the club chose to appeal the suspension at the AFL Tribunal and was ultimately successful, maintaining Ablett's clean record. An almost identical incident occurred the following week involving North Melbourne utility Sam Wright, but Ablett was not penalised. A third incident followed a fortnight later, this time a punch to the jaw of Gold Coast midfielder Anthony Miles; he was again offered a one-match suspension, which the club chose to accept, meaning that Ablett was suspended for the first time in his career after 331 games to that point. After maintaining his good form upon his return, his best game for the year came in a best-on-ground performance round 23 against , when he accumulated 28 disposals and kicked three goals. At the end of the season, Ablett signed a one-year deal with Geelong, extending his AFL career into a nineteenth season, and announced that it would be his last.

Ablett played his 350th game in round 5 of the 2020 season against his former club, Gold Coast, in what was also Joel Selwood's 300th game; he kicked a goal in the final quarter among 14 disposals. He later left the Cats' Perth hub after round 7 to be with his wife and son after earlier revealing that his son had been diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease. After finding out that he would not be allowed to return to play until the final home-and-away round due to Queensland travel restrictions, Ablett joined two players in the AFL's Gold Coast quarantine hub in September, before returning in Geelong's win against Sydney in round 18. He was among the best afield in Geelong's preliminary final win against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, kicking two third-quarter goals among 14 disposals. Ablett played his final game in Geelong's 31-point loss to  in the 2020 AFL Grand Final the following week; he injured his left shoulder in the opening minutes of the game but continued to play, with scans later revealing that he had played out the rest of the match with a broken shoulder.

Personal life
Ablett is a member of what has been called the "Ablett dynasty", a group of footballers all descended from Alf and Colleen Ablett. Ablett's father, Gary Ablett Sr., and two of his uncles, Kevin and Geoff Ablett, played senior VFL football from the 1970s to the 1990s. His brother Nathan Ablett and cousin, Luke Ablett both played senior football in the 2000s and 2010s. In May 2012, it was noted that, all together, Ablett's family had played a total of 900 matches, with his immediate family (Ablett, his father, and his brother) having a combined total of 500 matches. Ablett's aunt, Fay Ablett, married Michael Tuck, who was up until the 2016 AFL premiership season the AFL's all-time games record holder, with whom she had two sons who also played league football: Shane and Travis Tuck. Ablett's great-uncle, Len Ablett, played in 's 1943 premiership side.

Ablett dated Nine Network presenter Lauren Phillips for seven years, having first started dating after the 2002 grand final of the Victorian Football League. However, in early January 2010 it was confirmed the pair had ended their relationship. Ablett then dated Canadian former model Abby Boulbol. In August 2010, Lauren Phillips confirmed that she and Ablett were back together; however, in September 2012, their relationship ended after nine years together. At the 2013 Brownlow medal ceremony, Ablett was accompanied by girlfriend Jordan Papalia. After a disappointing season in 2015 where injury kept him out of all but six games, Ablett announced his engagement to Papalia in July. On 1 January 2016, Ablett and Papalia were married in Coldstream, Victoria. The pair gave birth to their son Levi in 2019. It was revealed in an interview in 2020 that Levi has “rare and degenerative disease”. This caused Ablett to miss a significant part of the 2020 home and away season as the hub life nature of the Covid-interrupted season would not allow him to regularly be with his family.

Ablett is a committed Christian. During Ablett's longing to seek a trade back to Geelong, his eldest sister Natasha died in October 2017 during the trade period.

Other work
In 2009, Ablett appeared alongside other AFL footballers in an AFL television advertisement titled "AFL: In a League of its Own". The ad featured the players playing Australian rules football at famous sporting venues around the world, and in the middle of other sports being played, including basketball, soccer and American football. Ablett is featured in a scene evading cars in an international off-road rally driving event, before kicking the ball to Fremantle player Matthew Pavlich. The ad premiered on television on 22 March 2009.

Statistics

|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2002 ||  || 29
| 12 || 10 || 3 || 37 || 63 || 100 || 13 || 25 || 0.8 || 0.3 || 3.1 || 5.3 || 8.3 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 0
|-
| scope=row | 2003 ||  || 29
| 22 || 26 || 20 || 189 || 138 || 327 || 61 || 77 || 1.2 || 0.9 || 8.6 || 6.3 || 14.9 || 2.8 || 3.5 || 3
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2004 ||  || 29
| 21 || 35 || 25 || 178 || 123 || 301 || 46 || 93 || 1.7 || 1.2 || 8.5 || 5.9 || 14.3 || 2.2 || 4.4 || 3
|-
| scope=row | 2005 ||  || 29
| 24 || 29 || 26 || 257 || 178 || 435 || 65 || 86 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 10.7 || 7.4 || 18.1 || 2.7 || 3.6 || 3
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2006 ||  || 29
| 21 || 35 || 28 || 212 || 142 || 354 || 74 || 65 || 1.7 || 1.3 || 10.1 || 6.8 || 16.9 || 3.5 || 3.1 || 5
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2007# ||  || 29
| 25 || 30 || 26 || 358 || 309 || 667 || 98 || 86 || 1.2 || 1.0 || 14.3 || 12.4 || 26.7 || 3.9 || 3.4 || 20
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2008 ||  || 29
| 21 || 26 || 24 || 288 || 318 || 606 || 100 || 95 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 13.7 || 15.1 || 28.9 || 4.8 || 4.5 || 22
|-
| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2009# ||  || 29
| 22 || 27 || 26 || 299 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 445† || 744 || 93 || 92 || 1.2 || 1.2 || 13.6 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 20.2† || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 33.8† || 4.2 || 4.2 || bgcolor=98FB98 | 30±
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2010 ||  || 29
| 24 || 44 || 26 || 338 || 418 || 756 || 106 || 101 || 1.8 || 1.1 || 14.1 || 17.4 || 31.5 || 4.4 || 4.2 || 26
|-
| scope=row | 2011 ||  || 9
| 20 || 18 || 17 || 304 || 301 || 605 || 45 || 119 || 0.9 || 0.9 || 15.2 || 15.1 || 30.3 || 2.3 || 6.0 || 23
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2012 ||  || 9
| 20 || 26 || 19 || 389 || 286 || 675 || 61 || 110 || 1.3 || 1.0 || 19.5 || 14.3 || 33.8 || 3.1 || 5.5 || 24
|-
| scope=row | 2013 ||  || 9
| 21 || 28 || 23 || 343 || 312 || 655 || 73 || 96 || 1.3 || 1.1 || 16.3 || 14.9 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 31.2† || 3.5 || 4.6 || bgcolor=98FB98 | 28±
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2014 ||  || 9
| 15 || 24 || 7 || 254 || 227 || 481 || 30 || 91 || 1.6 || 0.5 || 16.9 || 15.1 || 32.1 || 2.0 || 6.1 || 22
|-
| scope=row | 2015 ||  || 9
| 6 || 10 || 3 || 94 || 43 || 137 || 12 || 28 || 1.6 || 0.5 || 15.6 || 7.2 || 22.8 || 2.0 || 4.6 || 5
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2016 ||  || 9
| 14 || 10 || 12 || 203 || 175 || 378 || 28 || 85 || 0.7 || 0.9 || 14.5 || 12.5 || 27.0 || 2.0 || 6.7 || 6
|-
| scope=row | 2017 ||  || 9
| 14 || 8 || 11 || 266 || 196 || 462 || 49 || 77 || 0.6 || 0.8 || 19.0 || 14.0 || 33.0 || 3.5 || 5.5 || 14
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2018 ||  || 4
| 19 || 16 || 15 || 296 || 256 || 552 || 85 || 72 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 15.6 || 13.5 || 29.1 || 4.5 || 3.8 || 14
|-
| scope=row | 2019 ||  || 4
| 24 || 34 || 18 || 293 || 189 || 482 || 89 || 108 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 12.2 || 7.9 || 20.1 || 3.7 || 4.5 || 13
|- style=background:#EAEAEA
| scope=row | 2020 ||  || 4
| 12 || 9 || 8 || 97 || 82 || 179 || 24 || 27 || 0.8 || 0.7 || 8.1 || 6.8 || 14.9 || 2.0 || 2.3 || 1
|- class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 | Career
! 357 !! 445 !! 337 !! 4695 !! 4201 !! 8896 !! 1152 !! 1533 !! 1.2 !! 0.9 !! 13.2 !! 11.8 !! 24.9 !! 3.2 !! 4.3 !! 262
|}

Notes

Honours and achievements
Team
 2× AFL premiership player (): 2007, 2009
 3× McClelland Trophy (): 2007, 2008, 2019

Individual
 Gold Coast captain: 2011–2016
 2× Brownlow Medal: 2009, 2013
 5× Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013
 3× AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award: 2007, 2008, 2009
 8× All-Australian team: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (c), 2012, 2013, 2014
 2× Carji Greeves Medal: 2007, 2009
 4× Gold Coast Suns Club Champion: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017
 Geelong leading goalkicker: 2006
 2× Gold Coast leading goalkicker: 2012, 2013
 2× Marcus Ashcroft Medal: 2012 (game 2), 2014 (game 1)
 Australian Football Media Association Player of the Year: 2007
 3× Herald Sun Player of the Year: 2007, 2012, 2013
 2× Lou Richards Medal: 2009, 2013

See also
 List of Australian rules football families
 Alf Williamson

Notes

References

External links

 
 Gary Ablett Jr.'s profile at AustralianFootball.com
 
 

1984 births
Living people
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)
Geelong Football Club players
Geelong Football Club Premiership players
Gold Coast Football Club players
Leigh Matthews Trophy winners
All-Australians (AFL)
Carji Greeves Medal winners
Gary II
Brownlow Medal winners
Geelong Falcons players
Sportspeople from Geelong
Gold Coast Suns Club Champion winners
Australian Christians
Two-time VFL/AFL Premiership players Gareth Ian Ablett (19 November 1965 – 2 January 2012) was an English professional footballer and manager. He played as a defender from 1985 until 2001.

Ablett spent nine years with Liverpool, winning several honours, before moving to their city rivals Everton in 1992. He went on to win the FA Cup with Everton, having previously won an FA Cup in 1989 with Liverpool against Everton. He later played for Derby County, Hull City, Sheffield United, Birmingham City, Wycombe Wanderers, Blackpool and ended his playing career in the United States with the Long Island Rough Riders.

He moved into coaching and managed Liverpool F.C. Reserves, and then spent a year as manager of Stockport County.

Ablett died on 2 January 2012, following a 16-month battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, at his home in Tarleton, Lancashire. He was 46 years old.

Playing career

Liverpool
Ablett joined hometown club Liverpool as an apprentice upon leaving St Margaret's Church of England High School in 1982. He made his Liverpool debut on 20 December 1986 in a goalless league away draw with Charlton Athletic, when regular defenders Barry Venison and Mark Lawrenson were absent due to injury. He made five more appearances that season, scoring what would be his only goal for the club on 18 April 1987 in a 3–0 home league victory over Nottingham Forest. Alongside experienced players in defence, such as Gary Gillespie, Steve Nicol and skipper Alan Hansen, Ablett helped Liverpool win the League championship and reach the 1988 FA Cup Final. Ablett only collected a runners-up medal in the latter competition due to Liverpool's shock 1–0 defeat by Wimbledon.

In 1988–89, Liverpool made it to their second consecutive FA Cup final. This time they were successful, after a 3–2 victory over Merseyside rivals Everton. They lost the League title, however, to Arsenal with practically the last kick of the season. Ablett spent most of the season at centre half, covering for the injured Alan Hansen. When Hansen returned, Ablett reverted to left back. He missed just three league games that season and played superbly throughout. 

Ablett flitted in and out of the squad over the next year, relegated in the pecking order following the arrival of Glenn Hysén and the progress of Steve Staunton and David Burrows. He was used more frequently as a central defender rather than left full-back after Hansen began suffering more with injuries. Eventually, he took the central role more often following the arrival of left back Burrows from West Bromwich Albion and won the League again with Liverpool in 1990.

Everton
Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool manager on 22 February 1991, and his successor, Graeme Souness, decided to sell Ablett for £750,000 to Everton in January 1992, after 147 appearances for the Reds. Ironically, his departure came at a time when he was getting more first team opportunities than he had done since the 1988–89 season.

He made his league debut for the club on 19 January 1992 in a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park.

Ablett won the FA Cup with Everton in 1995, becoming the only player to win the competition with both Merseyside teams. However, he lost his place at left-back to Andy Hinchcliffe in the 1995–96 season, who had been moved back into defence after spending most of the previous season playing left midfield with Ablett behind him.

Later career
Ablett went on to make 128 league appearances and score five goals for Everton, and later went on to have a brief loan spell with Sheffield United before making a permanent move to Birmingham City for £390,000, joining them at the same time as established Premiership players Steve Bruce and Mike Newell, as new manager Trevor Francis set about building a side capable of challenging for a place in the Premier League.

In three years with the Blues, he scored twice, with goals against Swindon Town in the league and Leeds United in the FA Cup.

He was released by Birmingham City manager Trevor Francis in 1999, and after short spells with Blackpool (playing under former Anfield teammate Steve McMahon, scoring once against Luton Town) and Wycombe Wanderers, he signed for American A-League side Long Island Rough Riders in June 2000. In February 2002, at the age of 36, Ablett was taken on trial by Grimsby Town.

In 2006, Ablett appeared as a substitute in Replay 86, a charity match staged in aid of The Marina Dalglish Appeal, which pitted the Liverpool and Everton sides that had contested the 1986 FA Cup Final against each other one more. Ablett's inclusion was curious, because although on Liverpool's books at the time of the Final, he did not actually make his debut for the club until the December of that year. Regardless, his contribution ensured Liverpool won the game 1–0.

Coaching and managerial career
In the summer of 2002, Ablett moved into coaching, taking up a post as the coach of Everton's under-17 side. He worked as part of the club's youth academy for several years until the summer of 2006, when he returned to his first club, taking the vacant job of Liverpool F.C. Reserves team coach, replacing Paco Herrera. The same career opportunities were not available at Everton with Andy Holden firmly established as reserve-team manager.

In April 2008, under Ablett's guidance, Liverpool's reserves were crowned champions of the Premier Reserve League North, and the following month they became national champions after a play-off final victory against Aston Villa's reserves. In July 2008 he completed his final UEFA coaching qualification by obtaining the UEFA Pro Licence.

Ablett's son, Fraser (born 1991), signed for Chester City and has since played for Colwyn Bay since the demise of Chester City. He currently plays for Widnes Vikings FC in the North West Counties Football League Division 1.

On 28 May 2009, Liverpool announced that Ablett would be leaving his position as reserve team manager. On 8 July 2009, Ablett was announced as the new Stockport County manager. The club was in administration for the whole of the 2009–10 season, during which his team managed only five league wins. At the end of the season the club was relegated, 25 points adrift of safety. He left the club on 17 June 2010 when the 2015 Group took ownership of the club.

Illness and death
Ablett agreed to a one-year contract with Ipswich Town in July 2010 to join their coaching staff. After being taken ill on the training ground, he was diagnosed as suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.

On 2 January 2012, 17 months after his diagnosis, Ablett died at the age of 46. His funeral was held at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on 17 January 2012 and was attended by former teammates, as well as members of the teams and the then managers of Everton and Liverpool.

Ablett's widow Jacqueline has supported calls for investigation into the hypothesis that artificial turf causes cancer.

Rhyming slang
"Gary Ablett", normally shortened to "Gary", is a prevalent form of rhyming slang used in Liverpool for "tablet" (specifically ecstasy tablets).

Honours
Liverpool
Football League First Division: 1987–88, 1989–90
FA Cup: 1988–89
FA Charity Shield: 1988, 1989, 1990 (shared)

Everton
FA Cup: 1994–95
FA Charity Shield: 1995

References

External links
Past players profile at Liverpool F.C. website
Player profile at LFChistory.net

1965 births
2012 deaths
Deaths from lymphoma
People from Tarleton
Footballers from Liverpool
English footballers
English football managers
Association football fullbacks
Liverpool F.C. players
Derby County F.C. players
Hull City A.F.C. players
Sheffield United F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Everton F.C. players
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Blackpool F.C. players
Long Island Rough Riders players
Premier League players
English Football League players
England under-21 international footballers
England B international footballers
Liverpool F.C. non-playing staff
Stockport County F.C. managers
People educated at St Margaret's Church of England High School (Liverpool)
Deaths from cancer in England
English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
English expatriate footballers
FA Cup Final players