GARY ABLETT SENIOR TO BE INDUCTED INTO AFL HALL OF FAME
B Jensen 1 June 2005

CLUB LEGEND GARY ABLETT, famous not only for being Gary Ablett Junior's dad but playing nearly 250 AFL games and kicking over 1000 goals, will be inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame next Monday.

Considered but ruled out of contention for the past five years because of an incident in 2000 in which a young woman died from a drug overdose, Ablett has polarised fans. Twelve months ago Ablett's manager, Michael Baker, formally requested the Geelong Football Club no longer nominate Ablett; Ablett no longer wanted a debate re-igniting the horror for the family each year.

But this year, the Hall of Fame selection committee has decided the time's right, despite the GFC no longer officially nominating him. Indeed, almost all callers to talk back radio program Sports Today and Pay TV's Whiteline Fever backed Ablett's inclusion into the AFL Hall of Fame.

It is believed that Ablett will not attend Monday night's official event.

Ablett was a regular fixture in the Geelong clubrooms during the early stage of 2002 when son Gary Junior made the first steps in his already impressive AFL career. But Ablett has seldom been seen at the football since, reportedly enjoying the privacy of a retreat near the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Youngest son Nathan was drafted under the father-son rule in 2004, and is currently playing in the VFL side. But Nathan is expected to feature in the AFL side before long, but most likely not until next season.

Both boys played their junior football at Modewarre, a small township west of Grovedale in Geelong. Gary was drafted the conventional way, via the Geelong Falcons TAC Cup side while Nathan preferred to stay at 'Moda'; playing mainly under 18 but some senior matches in 2004.

LINKS:
The Ablett Gallery - Full career biography plus great photos - A MUST SEE
sportal.com.au ARTICLE
stats.rleague.com GARY ABLETT STATS

ABLETT JUMPS FOR THIS MARK DURING THE 1989 GRAND FINAL