For the first time in over a decade, Gary Ablett jnr's fantasy scores fell below 90. Passing the age of 35 as few do in senior football, many thought that the Little Master's statistical dip suggested he'd be hanging up the boots for good. However, with five scores of 110+ helped out by 33 goals and elite rankings for inside 50s and score involvements, his ceiling remains high. Scoring consistency, on the other hand, is waning. The eight-time All-Australian won't be playing every game this year and he'll be spending the bulk of his time in the forward line. FWD eligibility makes him more valuable than he otherwise would as he teeters on the cliff, as there are precious few options at his average even if he has a lot of downside potential. This makes him a middle-round selection, who may slide if your league reacts poorly to age-based concerns.
The littoral master
For the first time in over a decade, Gary Ablett jnr's fantasy scores fell below 90. Passing the age of 35 as few do in senior football, many thought that the Little Master's statistical dip suggested he'd be hanging up the boots for good. However, with five scores of 110+ helped out by 33 goals and elite rankings for inside 50s and score involvements, his ceiling remains high. Scoring consistency, on the other hand, is waning. The eight-time All-Australian won't be playing every game this year and he'll be spending the bulk of his time in the forward line. FWD eligibility makes him more valuable than he otherwise would as he teeters on the cliff, as there are precious few options at his average even if he has a lot of downside potential. This makes him a middle-round selection, who may slide if your league reacts poorly to age-based concerns.
Gary Ablett jnr has lost a yard of pace in his latter years, it is fair to say, but he still remembers where to go to get the ball. Geelong as a whole has underperformed in September since he left for Gold Coast, and perhaps it will take his return for the team to rediscover how to win some finals, let alone a flag. These days he is one of a cadre of smaller half forwards who need the other parts of the group working in unison to supply them with quality delivery. The Collingwood midfield is a formidable obstacle to Gazza's triumphant homecoming in October.
Gary Ablett jnr is coming off a disappointing 2018 campaign, and perhaps it is too easy to blame the advent of Gary Ablett jnr and Tim Kelly to the Cats midfield taking away his share of the footy. He was always much more of an outside player anyway, so he should have been able to fit in to a star-studded engine room. News that Ablett will play more forward this year gives his fantasy owners lots of encouragement, and 2018 was still his second-best campaign in fantasy terms. Expect some big numbers from him in 2019.
Ablett still able to amaze
It is remarkable that, aside from his injury-afflicted 2016, Gary Ablett jnr has averaged over 100 fantasy points every year since 2008. Iit is no secret that the Little Master is reaching the tail end of an astounding career. Ablett’s disposals were lower last year, and he was criticised at times for a lack of defensive accountability, evidenced by a drop in tackles. He still ranked first at Geelong for metres gained and disposals. Not since 2013 has Ablett jnr been able to play every available match, with shoulder and hamstring setbacks. This durability concern, as well as the indication that he is set to be spending more time forward should move him down fantasy coaches’ draft orders. Ablett is still worth an early pick, but expect his scores to dip. If he can obtain forward status, his value dramatically increases.
Gary Ablett jnr may have lost a yard, and he may not tackle nearly as much as he used to before the major shoulder injury in his last years at the Gold Coast, and... where was I going with that? The same might be asked of Gazza's season by fantasy coaches, as he has just about used up all his credits in their eyes and they are mostly looking elsewhere for salary cap POD picks. Perhaps that means you are looking him over one last time... but that body ain't getting any younger. Can he squeeze out two more good months?
Football's coming home
With shoulder problems that had plagued him since a bad dislocation in 2014 behind him, Gary Ablett jnr was back to top ball-winning form at times last year. GAJ hit 30 disposals ten times out of 14 games and made the top ten in metres gained, with the same disposal ratio of 19:14 as in his last Brownlow year of 2013. He rotated forward in the first month in particular, though his heat map ended with 56% in the back half. He finished the year in the stands with a hamstring injury, before his long-sought trade back to Geelong. The main query over Ablett jnr had previously been fitness; that now morphs into his role, as there have been many noises about him staying deeper forward. These concerns seem overblown for the most part, as even at the age of 33 you won't be able to keep the little master away from the action. Even if he does play a pocket, he'll have a top four midfield supplying him and he's a solid scorer in that position. He should be drafted very early despite what might usually be worrying red flags.
Ablett jnr better than his dad
Gary Ablett jnr will be remembered as one of the legends of the modern era, and his 2010 season has been absolutely sensational. Gary has maintained his 2008 and 2009 form, and has reached the point in his game where we expect him to be named in the best every single week, which he usually is.
The question at the start of the year was: "Do we get him or not?" The answer has been a resounding yes, with his Dream Team average hitting 123.8 and his Supercoach average being a solid 136.1. His lowest scores for DT and SC have been 96 and 97 respectively, so GAJ is clearly worth his price tag on figures alone. Untaggable, accurate, hard at the contest and freakish, Gary has it all.
Forget the talk of GC17, his girlfriend and family …this bloke will give you a great score every single week. He’ll break a game apart, and if you watch him closely, he hardly coughs a ball up.
by xavjustice
Gary Ablett jnr in a league of his own
Gary Ablett jnr is the premier midfielder in the competition, and is by far the most valuable fantasy player in exotic stat formats like Super Coach.
His raw statistics don't do justice to the quality of his play, with his disposal being elite and his high level of endurance meaning he has no trouble burning off opposing taggers, often several per game.
His fantasy performance in simple stat competitions like AFL Dream Team are not quite as dominating, due to his play involving a lot of handball receives and not enough marks to lift him to a different level over other elite mids.
Queries remain over Ablett's long-term fitness, however, with the champ likely to pick up knocks here and there from hard tags, and he is known to succumb to the odd bout of soreness or leg muscle strains as he pushes his body to the limits in search of further honours.
Ablett is an almost automatic captain choice when not under an injury cloud, and is worth every penny farthing you pay for him.
