GARY & HARRY TO CARRY ON

GEELONG goalkicking legend Doug Wade has welcomed the re-signing of midfield champion Gary Ablett, saying the 35-year-old was one of the best players the club had ever produced.

After a slight post-season delay in deciding his future, Ablett, as well as veteran defender Harry Taylor, has now recommitted to the Cats for 2020, and Wade said he still believed the dual Brownlow medallist had more to give next season.

“On all accounts, I would say he’s probably up to or even past his famous father,” Wade said. “Only two (Cats) beat him in the Brownlow count, so I still think he’s got a lot of football left in him.

“He’s been a sensational player and probably the best player Geelong’s produced in many, many years.”

The lure of playing in a third Geelong premiership was enough to see Taylor sign on at the club for one more year after narrowly missing out on a grand final berth this season.

Taylor played in two flags in his first four years at the Cats and while there was some talk he may have hung up the boots, he said the opportunity to finish on a high was too good to pass up.

“That (a premiership) is one of the main reasons why I still play this game, because I want to help our team win another premiership and hopefully in 2020 we can do it,” Taylor said.

“I think we just need to tinker with a few things and make some subtle changes like all teams and then just keep finding ways to improve.

“Every team will be training hard and looking to get better and we are no different.”

Geelong was once again the leading defensive side in the competition this year, with Taylor forming a strong connection with Mark Blicavs, Tom Stewart, Jake Kolodjashnij, Jed Bews and Mark O’Connor down back.

But the 33-year-old said the chance to help develop some of the younger Cats coming through the ranks was something that excited him about playing on again.

“I’ve still got a real strong passion for the game and I just love trying to improve and I want to help our team win another premiership,” Taylor said. “I obviously had a bit of a lay-off a couple of years ago but overall I think I have been reasonably consistent with how I prepare which makes a big difference in how you go about your footy and how willing and able you are to get out there and perform … so I (weighed up) how willing and able I thought I would be to keep improving and help the team.

“They were the main factors, so, if I was holding people out of the team and also how much improvement I felt like I had left in my football.”