One more year, but Ablett’s on his own

GEELONG insists there will be no specific management plan for Gary Ablett next year after the veteran superstar committed to a 19th AFL season.

Ablett, 35, enjoyed a blazing first half of 2019, but like his team, found the going tougher in the second half of the campaign.

While the dual Brownlow medallist was solid in the Cats’ preliminary final loss to Richmond, a quiet qualifying final and semifinal cast doubt over his ability to complete a full season.

But Cats football manager Simon Lloyd said Ablett would be treated like any other player.

“That’s something we talk about in regards to how do you ensure players, whether it be Gary or anyone on our list, are peaking at the right time,” Lloyd said. “We’ll work through that and work really closely with our medical and conditioning department because we need our players peaking at the right time of the year.

“We got to the end of the home-and-away season and obviously Gary was named in the 40 for the All-Australian squad. So he’d been in great form throughout the season and managed that at a certain level consistently throughout the year.”

Ablett’s 24 games this year was the most he has managed in a single season since 2010 — his last at Geelong.

The Cats icon said his decision to play on was motivated by the prospect of one final addition to a bulging trophy cabinet — a third premiership.

“I have no doubt in my mind that as a team we’re capable of winning the premiership next year, which is why I’ve decided to go around again,” Ablett wrote on Exclusive Insight.

“I believe I can still meet, and to an extent exceed, my own expectations and it is for that reason why I have agreed to terms with Geelong and penned a new deal to extend my career for a 19th season.

“I’ll be putting in a lot of hard work during the offseason to give myself the best opportunity to play my role well and perform at the level that I know that I can.”

Re-cast as a near-permanent forward, Ablett kicked 26.13 from his first 13 games and eight from his last 11.

“There were three or four games this year where he was the difference, where he influenced the course of a game,” Lloyd said.