Gary Ablett Sr

[the joker]

This could not be true could it ??

GEELONG is refusing to pay appearance money to secure its greatest player, Gary Ablett Sr, for the club's 150th anniversary.

It is believed Ablett wants $10,000 to attend.

Cats chief executive Brian Cook is standing firm.

"No, we won't be paying an appearance fee," he said.

Mr Cook wouldn't discuss individuals, but he did say: "There's still a number (of former players) providing a challenge for us on this one."

Ablett is one of several captains to decline invitations to the waterfront function in Geelong for 1700 people on August 8.

The others are Graham "Polly" Farmer, Brian Peake, Michael Turner and Garry Hocking.

Sam Newman, also a Geelong captain, has accepted the task of trying to broker peace with Turner and Hocking, whose issues with the club don't include appearance money.

Bill Brownless has also been involved in trying to change their minds.

Newman is believed to have received promises from Turner and Hocking to reconsider their decision to boycott the function.

Brownlow Medallist Alistair Lord, a controversial omission from the club's team of the century, is also yet to accept.

The club already has bookings from 1100 fans, including 150 former players.

"We're not giving up on Gary and the others," Mr Cook said.

He said strained relations between the club and so many of its former greats remained a problem for the Cats.

"One of the unique challenges I have found at Geelong is integrating the past with the present," he said. "It's been a huge task, and it's a task we haven't beaten yet."

Newman said former players had a duty to attend.

"This is not for the club, this is for the people who support it. The two of them (Turner and Hocking) are in the team of the century.

"They were very great players for the club and it would be good for them to be there."

The Footy Show star said he had taken it upon himself to try to heal the rifts.

"I thought I would see if we could achieve a level of detente," Newman said.

"It's for the fans really; it's about the people."

Newman also urged Ablett to attend the celebration "for the sake of the fans".

"They love him more than any other, bar one - the man who wore the No. 5 before him (Polly Farmer)."

Asked why Farmer declined, Newman said: "I think his health would be the reason he mightn't come."

Newman said the anniversary would be devalued without the former greats.

"If you're going to celebrate your 150th anniversary in a giant marquee, you've got to have your marquee players there," he said.

"If people like them don't go to that function, I think they have got their priorities out of order."

[redden whites]

$10,000 to appear at a past players show surely this cant be true

[LBT]

$10,000 to appear at a past players show surely this cant be true

Ask your son for a loan Gary, i feel sorry for you. Billy Brownless will appear for 'frothies' !

[dedja]

... and we're a happy team at Geelong

[ORDoubleBlues]

Hope Garry does attend as IMHO he's the greatest player of the last 30 years in the whole league.

[Dirko]

Wonder how much cocaine that'd buy ?

[Psyber]

Wonder how much cocaine that'd buy ?

It would probably keep him and a casual girlfriend going for a few days..

[MatteeG]

Ha ha ha ha- Dewy might be fat but at least he aint greedy!!

Regards,

MatteeG

[Sojourner]

If the admin of the club dont like it, maybe they might disclose then what they want $$$ wise for appearance fees for representatives of the club to appear on 5AA - monkey see, monkey do......

[Rik E Boy]

Ha ha ha ha- Dewy might be fat but at least he aint greedy!!

Regards,

MatteeG

Ol Gazza didn't have much going for him except his footballing ability but he hasn't played too many matches lately. Not even sure how Gaz earns a quid these days...he won't have an enduring career as a food critic that Dew Fatbastard has waiting for him after he gets shown the door at Hawthorn at the end of the year.

regards,

REB

[Dog_ger]

Pay the man.

[Dirko]

The others are Graham "Polly" Farmer, Brian Peake, Michael Turner and Garry Hocking.

They should've addressed the invitation to Whiskas. The dumb knob probably forgot to change his name back.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Ablett should have worn a helmet when he played, he obviously took one knock to the head too many. $10,000 just to turn up to a club function? He never really struck me as someone with an inflated sense of self worth, but I guess you never really know about people.

[ORDoubleBlues]

........and of course Ablett was never one to go to these sort of things anyway.

There was the time in 1993 when he won channel 9's 'player of the year' award and the prize was an expensive car and Ablett was required to attend the televised event - which was a bit of a pilot for the following year's The Footy Show - but he said no he wasn't to which Channel 9 said to his management 'if he doesn't front, he won't get the car'

Ablett duly fronted for the show.

[dedja]

The premise here is that the original story is factual.

Has Mike Sheehan jumped the gun again to get a story out before confirming the facts?

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 42,00.html

[Adelaide Hawk]

"We're not giving up on Gary and the others," Mr Cook said.

He said strained relations between the club and so many of its former greats remained a problem for the Cats.

What's that all about?

[Rik E Boy]

Ablett should have worn a helmet when he played, he obviously took one knock to the head too many. $10,000 just to turn up to a club function? He never really struck me as someone with an inflated sense of self worth, but I guess you never really know about people.

Purrrrrrrrrrlease. Like I said, he doesn't play too often for the Cats these days and footy is all the guy knows. It's got everything to do with income and nothing to do with his sense of self worth. You are right...you never really know about people.

regards,

REB

[Dirko]

Purrrrrrrrrrlease. Like I said, he doesn't play too often for the Cats these days and footy is all the guy knows. It's got everything to do with income and nothing to do with his sense of self worth. You are right...you never really know about people.

If this was say a legend from another club doing the same thing you'd be all over them in a rash.

[rod_rooster]

I doubt this is true but if it is and $10000 is the asking price i wonder what Gary Snr. feels a premiership winning player would be worth

[Dirko]

I doubt this is true but if it is and $10000 is the asking price i wonder what Gary Snr. feels a premiership winning player would be worth