GAZ READY TO LEAD

CHAMPION Gary Ablett says he will let captain Joel Selwood decide whether he wants him in the leadership group this season.

The former Gold Coast captain relinquished himself from leadership duties last year at the Suns, but Ablett said he was open to a return to the Cats’ leadership group if Selwood was to ask.

“I’ve had a couple of coffees with him now and I’ve said to him whatever he’d like me doing around the footy club, I’m open to that, whether that’s being in the leadership group or not,” he said.

“But either way, I’ll be making sure that I’m spending plenty of time with the younger guys, helping them develop, fast track them as people hopefully, but also as footballers.

“There are a lot of great leaders down there.

“Sel’s obviously a fantastic captain, someone that from day one when he got to the football club I knew he was a future captain.

“Very rarely do you see guys coming in their first year, driving standards and challenging guys out on the training track, but you saw that in him early on.

“I’m just going to support him any way I can.”

Ablett admitted to losing his passion for the sport in his last year at the Suns, his seventh straight season without making finals.

“I think doing the same thing for 17 years, that’s something you’re going to experience at times,” he said.

“I’m a very competitive person and I like to win footy games and unfortunately we didn’t have the success that I would have hoped on the Coast, but I feel I’m leaving the Suns in a better place.

“They’ve got some really great people around the footy club, they’ve got a talented list and I’m sure they’ll have success over the next couple of years.

“I’m really excited about getting out there and playing with some of the guys I played with seven years ago in Sel (Joel Selwood) and guys like Dan Menzel and Mitch Duncan, I’m really excited about that.”