Nathan Ablett walks away

[saintbrat]

not actually retired but he wants a break from the AFL for 2008 - may look at playing in VFL at some point (have cats put in the provision for return?)

Proud and priviliged to have played in a grandfinal

but lack enough passion to put himself through the rigours-
statement then left.

Good luck Nathan and well done on sticking to your true self.

[evertonfc]

You can't fault the guy - to him, playing AFL was a job he didn't really want to do.

He was reasonably good at it (neither bad nor outstanding), and played in a victorious AFL Grand Final.

He'll probably be remembered as a better player than he actually was, but meh, good luck to him in his post-AFL career.

[riccardo]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

[plugger66]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

How was he a spoilt brat? Yes he was talked into it but had the courage to walk away from a game where he could have earnt big dollars. Others would have stayed and pretended they liked the game.

[cowboy18]

Good luck to him, strong decision to walk away from something like that in the face of what could have been considerable personal and professional pressure. I imagine if you're not enjoying football it would be very hard to excel and do justice to the efforts of your team mates.

Carefactor less than 0.

Is that possible?

[snippa]

No loss

[Brian Collis]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

Get ur head out of you arse you no hoper!

At least he can play the game!

[GrumpyOne]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

Get ur head out of you arse you no hoper!

At least he can play the game!

I'd rather have 100% effort and 1% skill than the other way round.

[riccardo]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

How was he a spoilt brat? Yes he was talked into it but had the courage to walk away from a game where he could have earnt big dollars. Others would have stayed and pretended they liked the game.

"Courage to walk away"? You must be joking. In my day, there was a much less flattering term for that, it was called "quitting".

As to the "spoilt brat" part, well, thats my opinion, isn't it?

[plugger66]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

How was he a spoilt brat? Yes he was talked into it but had the courage to walk away from a game where he could have earnt big dollars. Others would have stayed and pretended they liked the game.

"Courage to walk away"? You must be joking. In my day, there was a much less flattering term for that, it was called "quitting".

As to the "spoilt brat" part, well, thats my opinion, isn't it?

Its courage when he will lose 200k a year. No reason for being a spoilt brat just felt like saying it. Well its a top opinion without reason.

[Armoooo]

Good luck to the young guy, i don't see him as spoilt, I just see him as a guy that likes to keep to himself and after being pressured into playing a sport that he didn't want to play he was no longer able to do that, he has won a flag now, something his father never did so he can walk away knowing he gave it a shot and it wasn't for him, he will never look back at a missed opportunity...

[SENsei]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

How was he a spoilt brat? Yes he was talked into it but had the courage to walk away from a game where he could have earnt big dollars. Others would have stayed and pretended they liked the game.

"Courage to walk away"? You must be joking. In my day, there was a much less flattering term for that, it was called "quitting".

As to the "spoilt brat" part, well, thats my opinion, isn't it?

"Comes across"? How so? I've never heard him utter a word, so how do you come to this conclusion?

I've been thinking this for a while and I know you won't have a care factor higher than zero, but I'll say it anyway.

For a bloke who preaches tolerance, you are extremely harsh with your views and condemnations of people. You are very black or white, never grey. Not a criticism, just an observation.

[Richter]

Carefactor less than 0.

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

Geelong supporting co-worker insists he will not be missed.

Harsh Ricc. Clearly your care factor is not so low otherwise you wouldn't have wasted your precious time responding in this thread

Neither do I accept that he is a spoilt little prima donna - he comes from a very difficult family background (beyond just his father's well known problems) and it's fair to say that all 3 of Gary's children have dealt with their issues in very different ways.

To me Nathan comes across as a very reluctant footballer, shy, reticent and unwilling to subject himself too long to the rigours (in the public eye) of being a) his father's son; and b) an AFL footballer.

At least he can walk away with two things his father never had....

his dignity, and an AFL premiership medallion.

As for Geelong, yes they have the likes of Travis Varcoe, Matthew Stokes, Nathan Djekerra and Tom Hawkins who did not play into their front 6 in the grand final so they hardly need fret.

[St Fidelius]

"Comes across"? How so? I've never heard him utter a word, so how do you come to this conclusion?

I've been thinking this for a while and I know you won't have a care factor higher than zero, but I'll say it anyway.

For a bloke who preaches tolerance, you are extremely harsh with your views and condemnations of people. You are very black or white, never grey. Not a criticism, just an observation.

I believe that ric only cares about players of the clubs that he supports...

Saints, Storm & Victory.... and has a care factor of zero about other players...

Not a criticism, just an observation.

[plugger66]

"Comes across"? How so? I've never heard him utter a word, so how do you come to this conclusion?

I've been thinking this for a while and I know you won't have a care factor higher than zero, but I'll say it anyway.

For a bloke who preaches tolerance, you are extremely harsh with your views and condemnations of people. You are very black or white, never grey. Not a criticism, just an observation.

I believe that ric only cares about players of the clubs that he supports...

Saints, Storm & Victory.... and has a care factor of zero about other players...

Not a criticism, just an observation.

The problem with that is some day that player may be at your club.

[Richter]

I guess that's the day to start caring about them then........

[SENsei]

Fair enough then. I guess it is a meat market then if people can't see the humanity in certain situations, no matter which club they play sport for. That's a sad indictment on society if true.

[St Fidelius]

Fair enough then. I guess it is a meat market then if people can't see the humanity in certain situations, no matter which club they play sport for. That's a sad indictment on society if true.

I agree, I hate every club in the AFL bar the Saints, but I do admire many players from other clubs, the effort the players put in to get their bodies right and the times they put their bodies on the line has to be admired in what really is one of the toughest games to play at the top level.

The pain some players endure through a season and pre season only to find that some miss out for 12 months through injury and have face the mental challenge of trying to remain positive and focused to get their bodies right for another attempt is truly amazing IMO.

Good luck to Nathan and I hope he enjoys his football without the rigors of playing at the top level. The top level is not for everyone with the ability it does take more than that to be truly passionate.

Nathan obviously enjoys a game of football and I hope he finds somewhere where he can still enjoy it, all the best

[TimeToShineFellas]

Nathan comes accross as a spolit little prima donna who was basically badgered into playing a sport he clearly never cared about by a club too obsessed with things that end in "Ablett".

What if Connor Harvey ends up like Nathan Ablett? Will you consider him a spoilt little prima donna? Or will you wish him well and have some sympathy for him because his old man played for St Kilda?

Have you ever met Nathan Ablett?

I reckon SENsational is pretty right in his observation. Mind you that's my observation too. And not a criticism.

[ttufc7]

How sad and unjust that a kid that has no love for the game and his club can win a pemiership medal and the great man Harves who has been an ornament to the game and a great servant to his club does not.........Makes me mad!

[TimeToShineFellas]

How sad and unjust that a kid that has no love for the game and his club can win a pemiership medal and the great man Harves who has been an ornament to the game and a great servant to his club does not.........Makes me mad!

Fair enough (and I echo your sentiments on Banger by the way), but I think it's a bit of a generalisation you make that he has no love either for the game or the Club.

Things are sometimes more important than football in life. Or at least some of us like to think so.

[St Fidelius]

How sad and unjust that a kid that has no love for the game and his club can win a pemiership medal and the great man Harves who has been an ornament to the game and a great servant to his club does not.........Makes me mad!

Fair enough (and I echo your sentiments on Banger by the way), but I think it's a bit of a generalisation you make that he has no love either for the game or the Club.

Things are sometimes more important than football in life. Or at least some of us like to think so.

Agreed, IMO he loves to play footy, but not at the top level that requires so much both physically and mentally with the added pressure of the press.

[hAyES]

Good luck to him, but it's a shame to see him go because he was one of the few Geelong players that was easy to contain. Geelong just got stronger I reckon.

[bobmurray]

Who's Nathan Ablett ?

[Saints Premiers 2008]

this is a good thing

now max can match up on a fat tomahawkthing