Geelong veteran Gary Ablett has left the club’s Perth hub to return home to Melbourne.

Ablett played in Thursday’s 22-point loss to Collingwood but flew back to Melbourne on Saturday.

The 36-year-old recently revealed his son Levi had been diagnosed with a rare and degenerative disease.

Geelong made it clear that they would allow Ablett to leave the Perth hub at any point if he felt the need to return.

And with the COVID-19 situation in Melbourne worsening dramatically, Ablett made the decision to return to his family.

It means Ablett will miss the upcoming games against Fremantle and West Coast in Perth.

There’s a chance he can rejoin his teammates when they go to Queensland early next month, but Ablett would need to serve a 14-day quarantine period first.

Ablett recently revealed his son’s diagnosis in a heartfelt Instagram post.

“Some of you might already know that (my wife) Jordan is caring for her mum as she battles with cancer,” Ablett wrote.

“But what many of you don’t know is that our son has been recently diagnosed with a rare and degenerative disease.

“We thank you for your love and support and want to emphasise just how grateful we are to be Levi’s parents. He is a true blessing to us and our family and we love him so deeply.

“Anyone who knows him knows how full of joy he is and how he always has a smile on his face.”