GARY ABLETT HAS NO CASE TO ANSWER: POLICE; FANS SPLIT ON STEVE JOHNSON
Ben Jensen 3 January 2007

By Ben Jensen WHILE ONE NEWS LIMITED PUBLICATION in the Herald Sun was happy to run with a half baked 'scoop' on another Gary Ablett scandal, this afternoon another in the Geelong Advertiser laid the matter to rest. Today's Herald Sun ran with claims Ablett was subject to a 'probe' by Police for allegedly passing dodgy cheques about town. The AFL hall of famer and three time Coleman Medallist has been dogged by controversy since hanging up his boots in 1997, whilst his two sons, Gary and Nathan, have forged their own careers with the Cats.

According to Senior Sergeant Rod Lloyd of the Geelong CIU, who was quoted in the Geelong Advertiser, the supposed fraud case ran cold several weeks ago, and was a civil matter. The Herald Sun only stated that a Senior Constable 'would neither confirm nor deny' the allegations, but still printed the policeman's name.

STEVE JOHNSON

MEANWHILE the club refuses to comment further on disgraced Cat Steve Johnson. A selection of responses from angry fans are posted below.

Original Story: STEVE JOHNSON DRUNK AGAIN

catsfan54: Steve your a disgrace.

Cant you go without a drink at all. Your a professional sportsman getting paid hundreds of thousands a year. get your act together. I would never have a drink again to get paid some of the money you guys get. Start acting like a professional and remember your playing in the Major leagues now not the minor leagues. Start acting like a paid professional.

Pissed of member who pays the club money to watch players treat it like a joke

fierceredpanda: As my pastor shared on New Year's Eve.

Changes will not stick unless there is conviction of the heart, and repentance.

No amount of rehab and counselling is ever going to work unless there's inner conviction and initiation on Stevo's part to change his ways.

Wayne33: I dont think AA meetings are going to do this guy any good at all... The club should have let him go, they didnt..

I dont think there is anything the club could do at all to him .. I realy think he doesnt give a rats ass about anything aside from himself..

Yes its a week break etc etc.. But shouldnt elite people like these guys be working their butts off and gettin in the best shape possible? Wiz Fiz aint to far away.. this guy needs his head read......

Yet another disappointing story to go next to his name, the bottom line is he will never learn.... never...

With the likes of people who we have at the club , I am very sure his spot will be filled asap... look for Gamble/Stokes/Varcoe or Djekkura in the pocket .. or they might just release Hawkins in to the forward line...

Tell me honestly , SJ or HAWKINS... This could be the begining of a career and the end of another..
Timing is everything....isnt it?

fdanby: Hopefully they fine him his entire years salary (stuff the players association). He should be embarassed to collect a pay cheque for the remainder of his career.

I wonder how much it has cost the club in members funds to insure & treat Johnson over the years?

In my opinion he should be given a "code red" at Harley & Co's earliest convenience.

Johnsons new nickname should be Private Santiago!

BUT many fans think 'Dog' should be given a fourth chance:

The Slaughterman: I have no problem if Johnno was arrested in the off-season, all part of a Wang-style back-slapping ouzo-filled extravaganza - I only hope his ankles were still fused to his rickety body and I would love to be a fly on the wall when 'steaming' Sando gets within 2M of Johnno in the next day or two

Every team needs one: Cousins, Ben Johnston, Fev, Tarrant, Krakouer... Johnson

You'll all be loving him when he slots through a lazy 6 in Q4 to get GFC across the line... one day!

SJ skillz: just heard about this and i never miss out on the big news, so thus it cant be anymore than a little incident that wrecked his xmas eve, then blow up by the media and balmey yapping on about who knows what.

dont turn up to training?
piss him off?

i laugh at these comments

SJ skillz again: get away with what exactly?

grand arson?
crimes againts humanity?
keeper of chemical weaponry?

are we talking about saddam hussein teh evil dictator here or steve johnson the talented gfc player? lets just hang him up, hell i bet everyone who gets drunk in public gets hanged at the gallows?

can he have a few quarter pounders and a VB for his last dinner then?

tip: stop eating our own players.

The dog = the most talented footballer! Shot on goal from angle greater than 45 degrees is a certain goal!