FOOT OFF THE GAZ
SUNS READY TO LET LEGEND GO
YOUR move, Geelong.
The Gold Coast Suns have challenged the Cats to table an offer worthy of securing Gary Ablett after the dual Brownlow medallist officially requested a trade back Geelong yesterday.
“Gary Ablett (yesterday) informed the club of his desire to be traded to Geelong during next month’s exchange period,” Suns CEO Mark Evans said.
“We indicated to Gary and his manager Liam Pickering that there are conditions that will need to be met for the Gold Coast if this is to be achieved.
“Scott Clayton will be available to meet with Liam and Geelong to ensure these conditions are met.”
Those conditions include what they expect in return for the 33-year-old in terms of draft picks or players and the financial cost associated with a player whose multi-million dollar deal was front ended.
Ablett is contracted until the end of 2018 and his current three-year deal – worth upwards of $3 million – has left the former Suns captain and Geelong needing to ensure they make up for about $500,000 of salary cap money for the Gold Coast.
Pickering will seek at least a two-year deal for Ablett should he return to the club for whom he played 192 matches and said his star client would need to compromise on the financial terms if it was to get done.
“From a contractual point of view I don’t think it’s going to be a problem from a Geelong end,” Pickering said.
“It’s a matter of making sure the Gold Coast get something they are happy with.
”There will be compromise all the way through to get this deal done. We will be doing the best thing we can for Gary to ensure he can get back to Geelong.”
Pickering said he believed Gold Coast were seeking a player in return for Ablett.
Ablett and Pickering met Evans, Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft and Suns list manager Scott Clayton yesterday in Melbourne to kickstart talks over the muchhyped trade.
The former two-time Geelong premiership player told the club he wants to return to live near family at Jan Juc, a coastal town on the edge of Torquay, Victoria.
Ablett requested a trade for family reasons at the end of last year and it is unclear if the issues he was working through have been resolved.
Gold Coast still believe Ablett could remain at the club next season if their conditions are not met and Pickering said the relationship between the midfielder and the Suns was not untenable.
“I think they are pretty respectful of what Gary has delivered to the Coast over seven years,” Pickering said.
“From that perspective all parties can get a deal done.”
If a deal can’t be reached Pickering said Ablett – who is off to spend a week in the Maldives with partner Jordan – could still retire.
“Absolutely it’s a possibility,” Pickering said.
“If this doesn’t go through then Gary has got a decision to make and his decision will be either he retires or stays at the Gold Coast but at this stage our focus is getting him to Geelong.”