Gary Ablett Jnr

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Geelong forward Gary Ablett Jr may work miracles on the field, but don’t call him the Son of God.

How did you celebrate Geelong’s 2007 Grand Final win?
All the boys kind of stuck together for about two weeks. We had a few quiet beers and just sat back and really enjoyed it. It was pretty much a pub hop here and there.
Your old man is a bit of a legend. What’s the best advice he ever gave you?
To learn to use both sides of your body. So, learn to kick on both sides of your body and hand pass on both sides of your body. It’s something he’s always taught me and it’s definitely helped my footy a lot. It just makes you a better player. If you’ve only got a right foot sense then it definitely makes it easier for your opponent to push you to one side.
What was the worst advice he ever offered?
When he was teaching me to drive on my L-plates, he used to tell me to stay as close to the gutter as I could. We went through a few tyres, so it wasn’t great advice. I think he just wanted me to stay as far away from the other cars as possible.
Speaking of your dad, how do you feel about being referred to as the Son of God?
Look, I don’t try to listen to it. I don’t agree with it totally. We’re a Christian family so, you know, it’s not something I really believe in. I don’t like hearing it but it doesn’t really faze me when people say it.
What’s been your most embarrassing on-field moment?
There was one week when I actually dove for a ball and I hadn’t tied my footy shorts too tight and the dacks actually came down to the knees. Luckily the camera didn’t catch it. I went back to have a look at the replay to make sure it was all good. It was a bit embarrassing.
Sex on game day – good move or not?
Well I’d have to say it’s not my choice. That’s pretty much the answer.
OK, onto the big questions... Can Geelong make it back-to-back titles in 2008?
I think we’ve got the talent in the team to do it. We’ve had a good pre-season up to this stage and we’ll just have to take it week by week like we did last year and see from there.
Are you a big beer drinker?
I am a big beer man when I do drink. I’m not a big fan of the wine or the sprits or anything like that.