Nathan Ablett eyes Gold Coast VFL return

(AAP) - Former Geelong premiership player Nathan Ablett is considering playing with Gold Coast in the VFL next season in what could be a step towards an AFL comeback.

Ablett, 23, the son of Cats legend Gary Ablett Sr and brother of recently crowned
Brownlow Medallist Gary Jr, walked out on an AFL career after playing in the 2007
premiership, just his 32nd senior game.
He will meet with Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna next week to discuss the possibility
of taking a step back towards the elite level.
The fledgling expansion club, which played in the TAC Cup under-18 competition this
year, will join the VFL in 2010 ahead of their 2011 AFL entry.
But Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said if Ablett agreed to play with
them next year, there were no guarantees that would lead to an AFL return.
He would be listed as one of the club's top-up VFL players, meaning he would play
for match payments and the Gold Coast would not need to sign him to a contract.
Given Ablett's long absence from top-level football, after he cited a lack of
passion for his shock exit, Ashcroft said they needed to know he was committed
before bringing him into their VFL squad.
"The first step is does he want to be involved in an AFL program again," Ashcroft
told AAP.
"With Nathan's situation he's been out of the AFL system for a while.
"If Guy's happy that he's going to do some hard training we will look at him."
"We would give him a chance to join in a pre-season program with no promise going
forward.
"Once we start playing games, if he's still committed to being here, then it's just
week-to-week, seeing how he goes."
If a VFL comeback succeeds, Gold Coast would then be able to sign Ablett for their
inaugural AFL season without needing to go through the draft.
During the 2010 post-season, they can sign 10 players who have previously been
listed with an AFL club or nominated for the draft.
Ablett, who moved to the Gold Coast after he left the Cats, played with QAFL side
Broadbeach this year, but missed much of their season with an ankle injury.
But Broadbeach coach Adrian Smith said his attitude was beyond reproach.
"I think he ended up playing eight games for us, but as far as mindset goes I can't
give the bloke a big enough plug," Smith told SEN radio.
"Being selfish, we don't want to lose him, but I think he's still got a bit to offer."