General footy chat Gary Ablett, the Suns and the next chapter

[wolftone57]

The Suns look in big strife.

They are. I don't know who is the list manager and recruiter for the Suns but he needs to be sacked. Their drafting has been abysmal. They need to sack their conditioning coach as well. The culture of the club is not good and at started with Gary Ablett. Trying to form a side around a player like Ablett is a mistake. When he plays they just feed him the ball. The reason Collingwood did not win a premiership in the time Bucks was playing was because he was the centre of the Collingwood play and if you cut him out you cut Collingwood access to goal. He was in a similar position to Ablett in that the team was built around him and the players deferred to him, fed him and relied on him. Not long after Buckley retired they won a premiership (3 years).

The suns are going to have to build frm scratch and develop a strong culture first and then they can start developing players. The days of Ableet and his clique kneeling to pray before games needs to stop and the party crew also needs to be reigned in.

[Dosser]

They are. I don't know who is the list manager and recruiter for the Suns but he needs to be sacked. Their drafting has been abysmal. They need to sack their conditioning coach as well. The culture of the club is not good and at started with Gary Ablett. Trying to form a side around a player like Ablett is a mistake. When he plays they just feed him the ball. The reason Collingwood did not win a premiership in the time Bucks was playing was because he was the centre of the Collingwood play and if you cut him out you cut Collingwood access to goal. He was in a similar position to Ablett in that the team was built around him and the players deferred to him, fed him and relied on him. Not long after Buckley retired they won a premiership (3 years).

The suns are going to have to build frm scratch and develop a strong culture first and then they can start developing players. The days of Ableet and his clique kneeling to pray before games needs to stop and the party crew also needs to be reigned in.

What a strange thing to say. They need to stop players praying before a game??? How completely irrelevant.

[Ludwig]

The days of Ableet and his clique kneeling to pray before games needs to stop and the party crew also needs to be reigned in.

I wasn't totally clear about what you were saying. I suppose you meant 'a bleat' and 'rained in'.

Anyway, I do think some of the Suns pregame rituals may be going too far.

[S.S. Bleeder]

The suns are going to have to build frm scratch and develop a strong culture first and then they can start developing players. The days of Ableet and his clique kneeling to pray before games needs to stop and the party crew also needs to be reigned in.

What does praying have to do with it? I'm an atheist but I don't see a need to belittle his religion.

The issue I have with Ablett is he signed a contract and he doesn't want to fulfil it. Instead he sulks and only wants to play in selected games. He behaviour has been abysmal.

[Billericay]

What does praying have to do with it? I'm an atheist but I don't see a need to belittle his religion.

The issue I have with Ablett is he signed a contract and he doesn't want to fulfil it. Instead he sulks and only wants to play in selected games. He behaviour has been abysmal.

He's going to leave the game with a poor reputation based on his antics at the Suns. Which is a shame as he is such an exceptional player.

[barry]

Leading a young side is difficult and few could do it, and no one could do it on their own. No shame on that

Paul roos, Stewy Maxwell, the only ones who come to mind.

Ablett is a great player.

[bloodspirit]

I wasn't totally clear about what you were saying. I suppose you meant 'a bleat' and 'rained in'.

Anyway, I do think some of the Suns pregame rituals may be going too far.

To be honest it's not just the pre-game stuff, the opposition analyst at work in his office weirds me out too:

spooky.jpg

[The Runner]

They are. I don't know who is the list manager and recruiter for the Suns but he needs to be sacked. Their drafting has been abysmal. They need to sack their conditioning coach as well. The culture of the club is not good and at started with Gary Ablett. Trying to form a side around a player like Ablett is a mistake. When he plays they just feed him the ball. The reason Collingwood did not win a premiership in the time Bucks was playing was because he was the centre of the Collingwood play and if you cut him out you cut Collingwood access to goal. He was in a similar position to Ablett in that the team was built around him and the players deferred to him, fed him and relied on him. Not long after Buckley retired they won a premiership (3 years).

The suns are going to have to build frm scratch and develop a strong culture first and then they can start developing players. The days of Ableet and his clique kneeling to pray before games needs to stop and the party crew also needs to be reigned in.

The comments about Ablett's faith are only over shadowed by your comments on Buckley. If it wasn't for the might of the Lions, they'd have been back to back premiers.

[Mug Punter]

He's going to leave the game with a poor reputation based on his antics at the Suns. Which is a shame as he is such an exceptional player.

Really?

He has won four B&Fs, a Brownlow Medal, four All Australian selections, was twice their leading goal-kicker and twice AFLPA MVP medal winner whilst there.

Some antics....

He could easily have just sulked this year after asking for a transfer (which he is entitled to do) but since he won the club B&F it would appear he has played OK.

I do agree with the Suns' holding their ground though with his contract given he has taken a front loaded deal from all reports. The Cats are notoriously tight at the trade table but the Suns will call Ablett's bluff for sure as they should. I don't think he has done anything wrong at this stage but how he handles himself in the next couple of weeks will be important.

All my impressions of Gary Jnr are of a respectful and genuine young man. He may not have been the right leader the Suns needed but that isn't his fault, nor is the terrible culture that seems to have been created up there.

I am an atheist but I find the comments re his religion in a previous post pretty poor form

[barracuda]

Ablett will return to Geelong on a very low salary. Why? Because there are other funds in the background, outside the club.

[Boddo]

Really?

He has won four B&Fs, a Brownlow Medal, four All Australian selections, was twice their leading goal-kicker and twice AFLPA MVP medal winner whilst there.

Some antics....

He could easily have just sulked this year after asking for a transfer (which he is entitled to do) but since he won the club B&F it would appear he has played OK.

I do agree with the Suns' holding their ground though with his contract given he has taken a front loaded deal from all reports. The Cats are notoriously tight at the trade table but the Suns will call Ablett's bluff for sure as they should. I don't think he has done anything wrong at this stage but how he handles himself in the next couple of weeks will be important.

All my impressions of Gary Jnr are of a respectful and genuine young man. He may not have been the right leader the Suns needed but that isn't his fault, nor is the terrible culture that seems to have been created up there.

I am an atheist but I find the comments re his religion in a previous post pretty poor form

The biggest issue for suns supporters is not his lack of leadership or religious views it's the contract. It was heavily front loaded so supporters feel like the club is getting ripped off as it looks like he's already been partly paid for next year.

I'll add I hope he doesn't get traded to Geelong. Anyone but Geelong. Not for any malicious reason just that I don't know if I could handle a year of Gazz's homecoming from the Melbourne media n then the cheerleading of Geelong for a premiership. If anyone thinks the bravedogs n uncle bob was bad that'll be nothing compared If he ends up there.

[Mug Punter]

The biggest issue for suns supporters is not his lack of leadership or religious views it's the contract. It was heavily front loaded so supporters feel like the club is getting ripped off as it looks like he's already been partly paid for next year.

I'll add I hope he doesn't get traded to Geelong. Anyone but Geelong. Not for any malicious reason just that I don't know if I could handle a year of Gazz's homecoming from the Melbourne media n then the cheerleading of Geelong for a premiership. If anyone thinks the bravedogs n uncle bob was bad that'll be nothing compared If he ends up there.

I agree 100% with your comments. But regardless of what happens his legacy is assured, and the personal attacks on him by others are small minded imo.

Having said that there is a real issue with his contract here. I suspect if it was a normal evenly weighted deal then they'd be happy to just get him off the books but the guys has effectively been pre-paid $500,000 and now he wants out.

He can't just call it quits and call it square when he has been paid $500,000 in advance and the Suns will stand their ground.

Their opening position is a quality player and the $500,000 paid by Geelong in the first year. That will effectively take $700,000 out of the Cats cap once they pay Gazza (not including the brown paper bags alluded to by Barracuda) and they will not pay that. If he leaves then things could get tricky but I would expect that the Suns would expect some of the money to be paid back in order to cancel the last year of his deal and then let him walk for a sixth rounder. I expect the Suns probably would prefer he leave so a deal will be cut somewhere in the middle that takes him off the wages bill and provides a mid tier player whose deal is subsidised to the tune of $300,000.

Also agree re the hysteria that will greet his return

[Boddo]

I agree 100% with your comments. But regardless of what happens his legacy is assured, and the personal attacks on him by others are small minded imo.

Having said that there is a real issue with his contract here. I suspect if it was a normal evenly weighted deal then they'd be happy to just get him off the books but the guys has effectively been pre-paid $500,000 and now he wants out.

He can't just call it quits and call it square when he has been paid $500,000 in advance and the Suns will stand their ground.

Their opening position is a quality player and the $500,000 paid by Geelong in the first year. That will effectively take $700,000 out of the Cats cap once they pay Gazza (not including the brown paper bags alluded to by Barracuda) and they will not pay that. If he leaves then things could get tricky but I would expect that the Suns would expect some of the money to be paid back in order to cancel the last year of his deal and then let him walk for a sixth rounder. I expect the Suns probably would prefer he leave so a deal will be cut somewhere in the middle that takes him off the wages bill and provides a mid tier player whose deal is subsidised to the tune of $300,000.

Also agree re the hysteria that will greet his return

You can see why it's getting very tricky. It'll be one of those trades that go down to the last day of trade week. Imo he's got 2-3 years left in the game as a small forward that has a run in the midfield. He'll make the club the money back easy n Geelong know this, it's just going to make their cap very tight.

[Mug Punter]

You can see why it's getting very tricky. It'll be one of those trades that go down to the last day of trade week. Imo he's got 2-3 years left in the game as a small forward that has a run in the midfield. He'll make the club the money back easy n Geelong know this, it's just going to make their cap very tight.

Gold Coast have no choice than play hard ball. They can't just let a bloke that has been pre-paid $500,000 waltz off when he is still under contract. They're being screwed on the field, at least they can make sure they are not screwed off it.

Unlike the JOM deal they hold the cards here as he is under contract. And I expect if he leaves the game , and I do think he will retire rather than play another season there, that the Suns will be in their rights to get some contract money back. And they'd probably be quite happy if he played out his final year too.

I have a feeling the Cats know how much this will be worth to them commercially (I can already here the "second coming" headlines) and that they'll blink

[dejavoodoo44]

To be honest it's not just the pre-game stuff, the opposition analyst at work in his office weirds me out too:

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Is that Rocket wrapped in the hide?