Gary Ablett

[Twodogs]

Re: Gary Ablett

Stuggling to understand why we would want to recruit Gary Ablett.....unless the club feels he might just be the final piece in the puzzle to get that elusive second premiership.

It'll be the elusive third premiership by next trade period.

There's little doubt that Ablett would be an Akermanis-type on roids running around the forward line. He's an alpha male and would tear it up within F50 for a few years.

I can't help thinking about how it worked out with the last multi proemership winning Brownlow medalist aged in his 30s that we imported from Queensland.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Gary Ablett

Base salary, sure.

400K? No Gary no, no Gary no...

[Ozza]

Re: Gary Ablett

Base salary, sure.

400K? No Gary no, no Gary no...

Think that view is a stretch.

I can understand many of the concerns, and I'm not really advocating us chasing him - but you couldn't seriously suggest Gary is not worth $400K. He is worth a great deal more.

Still one of the best players in the league. Don't forget that he missed pretty much all of last season, according to the media is playing poorly by his standards....and is averaging 28.5 possessions and 1 goal per game.

[Mofra]

Re: Gary Ablett

Against the grain... but yes.

For $400k we are getting someone who was one of the greatest the game has ever seen who is still a very, very, very good player (and still virtually untackleable) and who will be playing for close to average salary under the new rights deal.

Bevo wouldn't be able to write yes quick enough if the opportunity arose.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Gary Ablett

Against the grain... but yes.

For $400k we are getting someone who was one of the greatest the game has ever seen who is still a very, very, very good player (and still virtually untackleable) and who will be playing for close to average salary under the new rights deal.

Bevo wouldn't be able to write yes quick enough if the opportunity arose.

If he's genuinely on the market sure, but I read that $400,000 price tag as the Geelong offer. So my assumption is we would probably need to beat that offer enough that 'welcome home' sentimentality was overridden. If it was say $550,000 or would that change things?

[Ozza]

Re: Gary Ablett

If he's genuinely on the market sure, but I read that $400,000 price tag as the Geelong offer. So my assumption is we would probably need to beat that offer enough that 'welcome home' sentimentality was overridden. If it was say $550,000 or would that change things?

If he is genuinely on the market for any Victorian clubs (not just Geelong), then I guess the price comes down to what the room in the cap is, and what gets it done. Considering that the average wage might go up to $300K+, if cap pressure wasn't an issue then $550K for Gary theoretically, is no problem whatsoever in terms of his worth to a team in the top few on the ladder.

But I would suspect that in reality the cap pressure will be there to some extent anyway given we'll have all of our top line/top paid players to fit in (JJ, Bont, Stringer, Boyd, Macrae, Dahlhaus, Wood etc).

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Gary Ablett

If he is genuinely on the market for any Victorian clubs (not just Geelong), then I guess the price comes down to what the room in the cap is, and what gets it done. Considering that the average wage might go up to $300K+, if cap pressure wasn't an issue then $550K for Gary theoretically, is no problem whatsoever in terms of his worth to a team in the top few on the ladder.

But I would suspect that in reality the cap pressure will be there to some extent anyway given we'll have all of our top line/top paid players to fit in (JJ, Bont, Stringer, Boyd, Macrae, Dahlhaus, Wood etc).

The more I think about it, the more I can understand the appeal. There's a few question marks though, for me at least. The biggest is whether he's prepared to be a role player within the team? I love what Hawthorn had done with Burgoyne for the last few years. He's had a defined role, and despite him being able to play as an onballer and get the glory, he's played for the team and when they needed a match winner or burst on ball towards the end of a close game he went in and impacted the shit out of games. GAJ could very well be that elite player that accepts a role within the team and plays where the team needs him generally, and then impact roles within games. It'd be nice to have him high half back, or forward pocket and then when needed to throw him into the centre and contests when needed. He has 2 years more, the skill sets and flexibility to be something Bevo would love to have. But I go back to the main question I have, is he prepared to sacrifice playing on-ball and no longer be the 40+ disposal gun player? If the answer is yes, and an emphatic yes, then like Cloke I'm happy to get a pedigree player who makes the team better and is hungry for premiership success again.

As for money, even at that higher figure I threw out at $550,000 that's not going to be an issue. JMac & Co when offering Hurley five years at $800,000 a year would've forecast that wage and re-signing all our guns. I don't think it would've been an irresponsible offer, and so I think the club has some 'play money'. Say a couple take up a bit more, without factoring CBA rises, a $550,000 player could well be on our radar.

But that then opens up another question, is GAJ the one we want because we can only get one player at that level this year. There's free agents of interest, but I guess with GAJ you'd pay him for two years and then retire him and use his former wage on re-signing Bonts & Boyd etc.

There's a few different things to think about. Not least of which, why GCS and the AFEL would allow him to walk out on the joint for most likely not much trade wise?

[ledge]

Re: Gary Ablett

You would have to give him a very very good physical examination on his shoulders before you actually took him.
I think that's his main problem his shoulders . I say put him up forward and if needed throw him in the middle like we do with most of our players now .. 5 - 10 min if needed and he fits the game that day.

[always right]

Re: Gary Ablett

It'll be the elusive third premiership by next trade period.

Sorry...forgot to add this.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Gary Ablett

You would have to give him a very very good physical examination on his shoulders before you actually took him.
I think that's his main problem his shoulders . I say put him up forward and if needed throw him in the middle like we do with most of our players now .. 5 - 10 min if needed and he fits the game that day.

Yes his shoulders makes it difficult for him to tackle. That is what I have noticed this year.

[always right]

Re: Gary Ablett

Yes his shoulders makes it difficult for him to tackle. That is what I have noticed this year.

Must have also spread to his legs as he appears to be unable to chase opponents.

[boydogs]

Re: Gary Ablett

Must have also spread to his legs as he appears to be unable to chase opponents.

No point if he can't tackle them when he catches them. Cooked

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Gary Ablett

At the risk of sounding like Ling, there's some goody footy in him yet if he plays like that and plays on next year.

[jeemak]

Re: Gary Ablett

Goody eh?

[Twodogs]

Re: Gary Ablett

Goody eh?

If he can be bothered to try every week. I'd like the Gary Ablet that played last night playing for us. Problem is he brings that other GAJ with him, the one that turns up and plays three games for every one that's like last night. He's a shocker. Walks from contest to contest with his hands on his hips, can't kick the ball properly, shocking tackler, won't run to position, argues with the coaches.

He's poison that other GAJ.