No Ablett, Hawkins in Cats leadership group
Returning Geelong superstar Gary Ablett will not carry an official leadership title at Geelong in 2018 in his first season back at the club since 2010.
Cats’ coach Chris Scott revealed on 3AW last night that Ablett, who was Gold Coast captain from 2011-2016, would not be part of the leadership group.
Scott said Ablett’s influence on the group was enormous and the younger players had taken great heart in seeing the 33-year-old’s commitment to success. However, he did not need to carry a title to lead.
Gary Ablett provides leadership without a title, says coach Chris Scott.
Photo: Wayne Ludbey‘‘It has been really inspiring for me and particularly our young players to have him back and see how enthused he is to help the team have success,’’ Scott said.
He said that key premiership forward Tom Hawkins and midfielder Cam Guthrie, who were both part of the leadership group in 2017, had also decided to not be part of the group this season.
‘‘[We] have got a couple of guys, for example Tom Hawkins and Cam Guthrie, who have been a part of our leadership group who have decided they can influence our group more from the outside,’’ Scott said.
The Cats have a history of senior players not being part of the leadership group in particular years to expose other players to the role.
Premiership players such as Matthew Scarlett and Corey Enright, who are both now coaches, spent time outside the group during their career but remained influential.
The Cats are yet to make an announcement but Joel Selwood is expected to captain for a seventh successive season. The 2017 group was Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield, Harry Taylor, Mitch Duncan, Mark Blicavs and Scott Selwood as well as Hawkins and Guthrie.
Peter Ryan joined The Age in 2017 having covered AFL as a senior reporter with AFL Media.
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