Gary Ablett Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Ablett Sr. |
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Sculpture of Ablett by artist Stu James at an exhibition of football art
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Gary Robert Ablett | ||
| Nickname(s) | God | ||
| Date of birth | 1 October 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Drouin, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Myrtleford/Drouin | ||
| Debut | Round 2, 3 April 1982, Hawthorn v. Geelong, at Princes Park |
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| Position(s) | Wing / half-forward flank / full-forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Gary Robert Ablett (born 1 October 1961) is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for the Hawthorn Hawks and Geelong Cats in the Australian Football League (AFL). People often called him "God" because he was so good at football. Gary Ablett is known as one of the greatest players ever. He was famous for his amazing high-flying marks and for kicking lots of goals.
Gary Ablett started playing for local country teams near his hometown of Drouin, Victoria. The Hawthorn club then recruited him. He made his debut in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1982. But he found it hard to live in the city. So, he went back to Myrtleford the next year. The Geelong Football Club convinced him to return to professional football in 1984. By the late 1980s, he was a huge star in the VFL.
In the 1989 VFL Grand Final, he kicked a record nine goals for a team that lost. This is seen as one of the best individual performances in football history. He won the Norm Smith Medal for it. At the start of the 1991 season, Ablett surprised everyone by saying he was retiring. But he came back to play later that year. He played in the 1992, 1994, and 1995 grand finals. He officially retired on September 25, 1997.
Gary Ablett has many awards and achievements. He is in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He was chosen for the AFL Team of the Century. In 1993, he won the AFL Players Association MVP award. He also won three Coleman Medals for being the top goalkicker. He is still Geelong's all-time leading goalkicker with 1021 goals. In 2006, Geelong players voted him the greatest Geelong footballer ever.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Gary Ablett was born in Drouin, Victoria. His parents were Alfred and Colleen Ablett. He grew up in Gippsland, Victoria, with his four older brothers and three sisters. Gary loved sports from a young age. When he was 10, he won the state school high jump. He also won "best-and-fairest" awards for Drouin's junior teams. These were for the under-11s, under-12s, and under-14s.
Gary left high school at 15 to work as a bricklayer's helper. He started focusing more on football. At just 16, he joined his brothers in the Drouin senior team. He played well in several country league games. The Hawthorn Football Club noticed him. They had already signed his older brothers, Geoff and Kevin. Hawthorn invited Gary to play for their reserves team.
Gary Ablett's AFL Career
Starting at Hawthorn (1981–1983)
Gary Ablett signed a contract to play for Hawthorn's reserves team. He played six reserves games. But then he went back home to Drouin. He returned to Hawthorn in 1982. He made his first VFL game against Geelong in Round 2. He kicked 1 goal and helped Hawthorn win by 19 points. He played five more games that year, scoring a total of ten goals.
Ablett found it hard to live in Melbourne. He often missed training. Because of this, Hawthorn coach Allan Jeans let the talented young player go. In 1983, Gary moved with his family to Myrtleford. He played for the Myrtleford Football Club under his cousin, Len Ablett.
His football skills were noticed again. This time, the Geelong Football Club was interested. Their recruiting officer, Bill McMaster, convinced Gary to try professional football again. Geelong was a rural city, which suited him better. After long talks with Hawthorn, Geelong paid $60,000 to get Ablett in 1984.
Early Years at Geelong (1984–1988)
Gary Ablett signed a one-year contract with Geelong for the 1984 season. He started playing under coach Tom Hafey. He debuted for Geelong in Round 7. After only nine games, he was chosen for his first State of Origin game for Victoria. He was named best player on the field, kicking 8 goals.
In 1984, he played 15 games and kicked 33 goals. He won the Carji Greeves Medal as Geelong's "best and fairest" player. After his first season, Ablett signed a new three-year contract with Geelong. He mostly played on the half-forward flank. He was Geelong's top goalkicker for the next two seasons, with 82 and 65 goals.
Ablett was known for being a bit relaxed about training. But he still finished in the top three for Geelong's best and fairest awards from 1985 to 1987. His contract was ending after the 1987 season. Ablett surprised everyone by signing a new five-year deal with Hawthorn. But after a "cooling-off" period, he decided to stay with Geelong. He agreed to a good five-year contract.
In 1988, Ablett started the season with 59 goals in just 11 games. He was second on the goalkicking list. In these games, he kicked 10 goals against Richmond. He also kicked 11 goals against Brisbane, almost breaking the ground record of 12 goals. He finished the season with 82 goals, his second time reaching that number.
Amazing Finals in 1989
The 1989 season brought a new coach, Malcolm Blight. Ablett helped Geelong reach the finals. They had won ten games in a row to end the regular season. In a big win against Richmond, Ablett kicked 14 goals. This broke a 22-year club record.
In his first final game, Gary Ablett kicked three goals. But Geelong lost to Essendon by 76 points. This meant Geelong had to play a sudden-death Semi Final against Melbourne. Geelong won by 63 points. Ablett kicked seven goals. They then played Essendon again in the Preliminary Final. Ablett kicked 8 goals this time. Geelong crushed Essendon by 94 points. This sent them to their first grand final since 1967.
In the 1989 VFL Grand Final against Hawthorn, Ablett started strong. He kicked the first goal of the game. By half-time, he had kicked four goals. But Geelong was behind by 37 points. Ablett kicked five more goals in the second half. Hawthorn's lead was cut to just 6 points. But Geelong still lost by 6 points in a very tough game. Ablett's amazing performance of 9 goals earned him the Norm Smith Medal. He was only the second player from a losing team to win this award. His 9 goals also tied the grand final record set in 1928.
Retirement and Comeback (1991–1992)
On February 1, 1991, Gary Ablett, then 29, announced he was retiring. He said it was for personal reasons and he wasn't enjoying the game. His 1990 season had been tough with injuries and personal issues. But he was encouraged to change his mind. He returned in Round 12 for Geelong's reserves team. This created a lot of excitement.
Ablett was then chosen for the senior team's next game. He had ten possessions and kicked two goals. One goal was important in the last quarter. Because he started late and wasn't fully fit, he didn't play his best. His season ended badly when he was suspended for hitting a player. He missed Geelong's finals games.
Ablett worked hard to get fit for the 1992 season. Geelong had a great first half of the year. They reached the grand final against the West Coast Eagles. Geelong led by two goals at half-time. But they couldn't keep up their strong play. They lost by 28 points. Ablett kicked 3 goals. He again struggled to finish the year as strongly as he started.
A Special Season (1993)
Before the 1993 season, coach Malcolm Blight suggested Ablett move to full-forward. This was to help him play longer. This move was a great idea. Ablett became an amazing goalkicker. He reached 50 goals in just six games. This tied a sixty-year record. He kicked his first 100 goals of the season just eight games later. He was the first Geelong player to kick 100 goals in a season since 1976.
Geelong did not make the finals that year. But Ablett's skill as a full-forward was clear. He kicked ten or more goals five times. This included a 14-goal game against Essendon. He finished the season with 124 goals in only 17 games. He won his first Coleman Medal as the top goalkicker. He also won the Leigh Matthews Trophy and the AFMA Player of the Year Award. He finished in the top ten for the Brownlow Medal.
Continued Dominance (1994 to 1996)
"One part beauty, nine parts drama. Did he take it? Should it have been paid? Is it the greatest ever? Do we mark it down in the greatest-ever lists because of the question marks? What we overlook is the degree of difficulty, as a twisting, falling Ablett plunges to earth while still retaining the Sherrin with one hand. Is it a mark, after all these years? Still not sure."
Ablett continued to be a top full-forward in 1994 and 1995. He won the Coleman Medal in both years. He is the only player in VFL/AFL history to kick 100 goals and win the Coleman Medal for three years in a row. Ablett was fast and skilled. He was also great at taking marks. A famous moment was his 1994 Mark of the Year over Collingwood's Gary Pert. This mark is shown in a painting called the Game That Made Australia. People still debate if he had full control of the ball for the mark to be paid.
In early 1996, Ablett was suspended for five games. He later said this long suspension was "the beginning of the end." He finished the season with 69 goals in 17 games. His last AFL game was against North Melbourne in a Qualifying Final in 1996. Ablett only kicked one goal in that game, and Geelong lost by 60 points.
End of Career (1997)
In October 1996, Gary Ablett missed Geelong's first training session. He was fined $10,000. In November, he was in the hospital with a severe stomach illness. In March 1997, Geelong confirmed Ablett would play that year. On March 31, 1997, Ablett played in a reserves game. He kicked 7 goals but hurt his knee. Three days later, he had surgery. In early June, he still hadn't recovered and needed more knee surgery. In September, during the preliminary finals, he announced his retirement from football.
State of Origin Games
Gary Ablett had a great State of Origin career. He kicked 43 goals in 11 games. He was first chosen to play for Victoria in 1984. This was only nine games into his Geelong career. He kicked 8 goals and was named best on ground.
He played well again the next year, kicking 4 goals against South Australia. He was out of the team for a few years, except in 1987. In 1990, he kicked 6 goals against Western Australia. After coming back from retirement in 1991, he was chosen for Victoria again. He kicked 2 goals. In 1992, he kicked 3 goals and was among the best players against Western Australia.
In 1993, he kicked 4 goals against a combined New South Wales–Australian Capital Territory team. In the same year, he kicked 5 goals in the State of Origin Carnival Grand Final. In 1994, he kicked 4 goals against South Australia in a game called "one of the greatest Australian football games of all time." He followed this with 4 goals against South Australia in 1995. Ablett has said it was "a tremendous honour to represent your state."
Gary Ablett's Legacy
Gary Ablett combined strength, speed, and skill. He created many amazing highlights and kicked incredible goals. He was known as a "big game player." He kicked 43 goals in 11 State of Origin games. Even more, he kicked 64 goals in his 16 finals games. That's an average of four goals per game! His 27 goals in the 1989 finals series is still a record.
He won the Norm Smith Medal in the 1989 Grand Final. He was judged the best player on the field. He was one of only four players to win the medal while playing for the losing team. In 1996, Ablett joined a special group of players. He became one of only five players in league history to kick 1000 VFL/AFL goals. Lance Franklin joined this club in 2022.
Gary Ablett is the subject of a song called "Kicking the Footy with God." It was released in 2005. In 1996, Ablett was named in the AFL Team of the Century. In 2001, he was named in the Geelong Team of the Century. In 2005, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. The next year, he was voted the Greatest Geelong player of all time. In 2006, a terrace at Skilled Stadium was named after him.
Australian Football Hall of Fame Induction
Even though Gary Ablett had amazing football achievements, his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame was delayed. This was due to personal issues. In 2004, Ablett asked the Geelong Football Club to stop nominating him. The club agreed. However, the next year, it was announced that Ablett would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gary Ablett's Family Life
Gary Ablett is the youngest of eight children. He grew up with four older brothers and three older sisters. In 1985, Ablett married his girlfriend, Sue. They had four children: Natasha, Gary Jr., Nathan, and Alisha.
In 1986, Ablett became a Christian. He has said he doesn't really like being called "God" by fans, even though it's about his football skills. Ablett's faith was often mentioned. For example, in 1989, he admitted to hitting a player. He said he "wasn't prepared to lie about it." His public mention of his faith during his Norm Smith Medal speech in 1989 was also well-known.
In December 2007, Ablett spoke out against media claims. The media said his son Nathan left football because of a new book about Gary. Ablett usually didn't talk to the public. But he felt the media was bothering his family too much. Ablett shared personal details about his life for the first time in this book.
In September 2020, Ablett released a YouTube video. In it, he talked about his beliefs.
A Footballing Family
Two of Gary Ablett's brothers played in the Victorian Football League. Kevin Ablett played for Hawthorn, Richmond, and Geelong. Geoff Ablett played for Hawthorn, Richmond, and St Kilda.
Gary's oldest son, Gary Jr., also played for Geelong. In 2007 and 2009, Gary Jr. won Geelong's best and fairest award. This was just like his father did in 1984. He also won the Brownlow Medal in 2009 and 2013. Another son, Nathan, was drafted by Geelong in 2004. Nathan first didn't want to play AFL football because of his father's media experiences. But he was encouraged to join Geelong in 2005. He became a full-forward, just like his dad.
On September 29, 2007, both Gary Jr. and Nathan helped Geelong win their first championship in 44 years. This was a premiership that Gary Sr. never won in his 12 years at the club. Nathan suddenly retired before the 2008 season. But he and his brother Gary Jr. played for the Gold Coast Football Club in 2011.
Gary Ablett also has a nephew, Luke Ablett. Luke played for the Sydney Swans and won a premiership with them in 2005. Two other nephews are from his sister's marriage to Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck. They also played in the AFL: Richmond's Shane Tuck and Travis Tuck, who played for Hawthorn.
Concussion Lawsuit
In April 2023, Gary Ablett started legal action. He sued the AFL and the Geelong and Hawthorn football clubs. He claimed they were negligent and breached their duty. This was about brain injuries he suffered during his football career.
Statistics
In 2019, a football history fan named Stephen Wade found a mistake in Gary Ablett's stats. He was watching a video from a 1982 game. He saw Ablett kick two goals but was only given credit for one. Wade told the AFL's statistics consultant, Col Hutchinson. The official records were updated. The goal had been wrongly given to a teammate for 37 years. This increased Ablett's total goals from 1,030 to 1,031.
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Led the league for the season only | |
| Led the league after finals only | |
| Led the league after season and finals |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 1982 | Hawthorn | 35 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 47 | 21 | 68 | 26 | N/A | 1.5 | 2.2 | 7.8 | 3.5 | 11.3 | 4.3 | N/A |
| 1984 | Geelong | 5 | 15 | 33 | 28 | 238 | 61 | 299 | 86 | N/A | 2.2 | 1.9 | 15.9 | 4.1 | 19.9 | 5.7 | N/A |
| 1985 | Geelong | 5 | 20 | 82 | 67 | 274 | 62 | 336 | 135 | N/A | 4.1 | 3.4 | 13.7 | 3.1 | 16.8 | 6.8 | N/A |
| 1986 | Geelong | 5 | 15 | 65 | 49 | 185 | 39 | 224 | 101 | N/A | 4.3 | 3.3 | 12.3 | 2.6 | 14.9 | 6.7 | N/A |
| 1987 | Geelong | 5 | 17 | 53 | 38 | 200 | 46 | 246 | 86 | 19 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 11.8 | 2.7 | 14.5 | 5.1 | 1.1 |
| 1988 | Geelong | 5 | 21 | 82 | 62 | 253 | 42 | 295 | 117 | 19 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 12.0 | 2.0 | 14.0 | 5.6 | 0.9 |
| 1989 | Geelong | 5 | 23 | 87 | 54 | 378 | 68 | 446 | 151 | 29 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 16.4 | 3.0 | 19.4 | 6.6 | 1.3 |
| 1990 | Geelong | 5 | 17 | 75 | 43 | 224 | 47 | 271 | 100 | 21 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 13.2 | 2.8 | 15.9 | 5.9 | 1.2 |
| 1991 | Geelong | 5 | 12 | 28 | 27 | 144 | 21 | 165 | 55 | 20 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 13.8 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| 1992 | Geelong | 5 | 21 | 72 | 54 | 324 | 61 | 385 | 118 | 33 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 15.4 | 2.9 | 18.3 | 5.6 | 1.6 |
| 1993 | Geelong | 5 | 17 | 124 | 60 | 233 | 13 | 246 | 111 | 10 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 13.7 | 0.8 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 0.6 |
| 1994 | Geelong | 5 | 25 | 129 | 79 | 263 | 30 | 293 | 130 | 15 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 10.5 | 1.2 | 11.7 | 5.2 | 0.6 |
| 1995 | Geelong | 5 | 22 | 122 | 85 | 264 | 19 | 283 | 148 | 18 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 12.0 | 0.9 | 12.9 | 6.7 | 0.8 |
| 1996 | Geelong | 5 | 17 | 69 | 31 | 159 | 31 | 190 | 71 | 13 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 9.4 | 1.8 | 11.2 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
| 1997 | Geelong | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Career | 248 | 1031 | 690 | 3186 | 561 | 3747 | 1435 | 197 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 12.8 | 2.3 | 15.1 | 5.8 | 1.0 | ||
| 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 (Geelong): 1992
Individual
- Norm Smith Medal: 1989
- 3× Coleman Medal: 1993, 1994, 1995
- 4× All-Australian team: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
- 4× VFL/AFL Team of the Year: 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990
- Carji Greeves Medal: 1984
- Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFL MVP Award): 1993
- 9× Geelong leading goalkicker: 1985, 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: 1993
- Australian Football Hall of Fame: 2005 Inductee
- 5th on all-time leading goal-kickers
- All-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)
