Gary Ablett’s homecoming AFL trade to Geelong is a step closer after the Cats held fruitful talks with Gold Coast on Monday.
After seven seasons, Ablett announced he wanted out of the final year of his contract with the Suns to shift back to Geelong, where he played the first nine years of his career and played in the 2007 and 2009 premierships.
Gold Coast have stood firm on their demand for a player and a draft pick for the 33-year-old two-time Brownlow Medal winner – terms that Cats coach Chris Scott has previously baulked at.
But when the two parties met at Etihad Stadium on Monday morning at the official start of trade period, Geelong came to the party with a list of players for the Suns to consider.
“It’s more likely, obviously most (deals get done), but there’s some work to do, there’s no doubt about that, we’re not quite at the finishing line yet,” Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton said.
“They have (offered up players) but am I prepared to say who? No. With due respect it’s not fair to bandy names around and we wouldn’t.
“We had a conversation but we’ll catch up with them in a couple of days.
“To think that anything will be done in the first couple of hours of day one is probably not unrealistic.”
Darcy Lang, a 21-year-old first-round pick at the 2013 draft, is the Cats player who has been most strongly linked with a trade for Ablett, who has threatened to retire if he doesn’t get his wish.
He took the opportunity to explain his trade request, his second in two years, in an open letter published on Monday.
Writing for the Exclusive Insight website, Ablett said his priorities had changed and he wanted to spend more time with his Victorian-based family.
“Sixteen years on, now married and looking to start a family, my priorities have shifted,” Ablett said.
“I need to be around my family back home, who I have spent the last seven years doing long distance with.
“My sisters, my brother and parents all play a huge role in my life and it’s time that I make myself more available to them and others back home.”
Ablett said the move to the Gold Coast had been a positive one for his career and he didn’t regret the decision.
He said it hurt that the Suns hadn’t been able to achieve the success he hoped for when he signed on but felt they weren’t far off.