Ablett to miss ‘weeks’
AFL: Gary Ablett’s hamstring injuries will force Geelong to reassess how many games he plays for the rest of the season.
With scans confirming he has suffered a hamstring strain, the Cats aren’t putting a definitive timeline on Ablett’s return.
The 33-year-old sustained the injury late in the Cats’ bruising loss to West Coast and, given his age, the club said it would take a cautious approach with his recovery.
“The scans are as expected and I will be out for a few weeks with a hamstring strain,” Ablett said in a statement yesterday.
“I will do everything I can to rehab the injury and get back out there.
“Obviously it is disappointing to miss playing the next few games with the team, but it is a long season and we are all positive that this will be a minor setback.”
When he returned to Geelong after last season, Ablett was enthusiastic about playing all 22 games in the regular season.
But having started his second term at Geelong with a hamstring injury in the preseason, he dramatically suffered another at a crucial stage of the last quarter in the Cats’ loss to West Coast on Sunday.
Coach Chris Scott told Fox Footy’s AFL360 show: “We can afford to take our time ... we need to adapt, based on the fact that he’s had a couple of hammies in a short time.”
Scott noted that while Ablett was keen to play as often as possible, the star was open to adapt if the situation changed, which it clearly had.
There had been no concerns about Ablett playing in Perth, Scott added, given he was in good shape and it was only round three.
“No one is suggesting he was at risk going into the game,” Scott said.
Ablett’s hamstring twang capped a spate of injuries during the match, with Nakia Cockatoo and Cam Guthrie also forced off the ground.
Scott was proud of how his team had the lead until late in the match.
“It just became a bridge too far,” he said.