Gray out to stop Ablett
Originally appeared in The Daily Telegraph, 29/07/1995, written by Doug Stewart GARY Ablett’s form and reputation daunt most opponents, but Sydney’s Troy Gray is rubbing his hands at the prospect of marking the great man today at Kardinia Park.
The Geelong champion has kicked 97 goals in 16 games this season for a career total of 936 to be sixth on the all-time list. While the Cats fans will stream into Kardinia Park today preparing to celebrate Ablett’s century, Gray has other ideas.
“Marking him is the biggest task in the game except maybe being on (Tony) Lockett but I relish the situation,” Gray said.
“The last couple of times I’ve played him I’ve really lifted to the occasion and if I get a chance near him this time I’ll be eager to spoil. The last thing I want is to let Geelong win and let him get his 100 goals.”
Considering Ablett has averaged more than six goals a match this season, Gray will be hard-pressed preventing Ablett kicking the three goals he needs to notch 100 majors for the third consecutive year.
But Gray has an imposing record against Ablett going on their past two meetings.
In the corresponding game last season, Ablett only kicked four goals against Gray at Kardinia Park.
Then in Round 2 of 1995, Ablett had only registered one goal on the SCG until midway through the fourth quarter.
He ended the match with three but that remains his lowest haul in a game this season. However, even a contained Ablett can still be a matchwinner.
He proved that in the finals last year when he had been subdued by North Melbourne’s Mick Martyn all afternoon but still plucked a mark out of the air to kick the winning goal on the siren. Then at the SCG in April, Ablett’s third and last goal of the game against Sydney was the final scoring kick in the match. It came after a controversial free against Gray when it appeared Ablett had held Gray by the guernsey in the struggle for possession.
But Ablett goaled to give the Cats a five-point win to inflict one of the Swans’ three losses by less than a goal this season.
“Maybe I had a bit of luck but our midfield also worked really well that day to cut down his options,” Gray said.
Geelong won and Ablett kicked his 100th goal, after a comical false start when the crowd first ran on for a behind.