By 1995, Gary Ablett Snr was in the twilight of his career and after looking to step away from the game early in 1991, he returned to senior football later that season going on to play some of the best football of his illustrious career. The Cats were unable to snag the flag in 1992 and 1994 despite making the Grand Final and Ablett was in top goal kicking form, winning the back-to-back Coleman Medals in 1992 and 1993, booting over 100 goals in both seasons.
He was on track for another Coleman in 1995 having already passed the ton in Round 18 against Collingwood at Victoria Park. The following week he suffered an injury against the Dockers forcing to miss the Round 20 clash against Fitzroy.
Ablett returned to the side in the Cats home match against Footscray in Round 21, booting the first goal of the match against the breeze after a left foot snap around the corner from Aaron Lord hit him right on the chest. Ablett slotted it home from 35 metres out straight in front.
The full forward second goal came early in the second quarter, when a fantastic chain of handballs off the half-back line found Tim McGrath on the attacking side of the centre square and his booming kick inside was able to put it to Ablett’s advantage at the back, one out against Brad Nicholson. Ablett goaled from a set shot from 20 metres out on a 45 degree angle.
The stars third goal came in similar fashion just a few minutes later, as the Cats rebounded from an out of bounds on the full on the wing. Riccardi marked at half forward, hand balling off to Ben Graham who put a long ball to a similar position. Ablett with the strength nudged Nicholson under ball and marked on his chest. He kicked truly as the Cats skipped out to a 26 point lead.
By this point the Cats had work out the play with Ablett isolated at full forward and there wasn’t much his opponent could do. A sweeping handpass from Brad Sholl at half back, found Aaron Lord on the wing and once again the ball was kicked in long to Ablett’s advantage, playing at the back. Ablett once again used his body to nudge Nicholson. This time the ball fell over the back and Ablett was in prime position to scoop it up and run into an open goal.
Unfortunately, after the goal the star forward was a bit proppy and appeared to grab his leg as he completed the goal. He came from the ground moments later, allowing Footscray to mount a comeback and win the game by 15 points.
Ablett missed the next to match through injury, however the Cats went on to flog the Dogs by 82 points when they met again without Ablett in the Qualifying Final. The superstar returned for the Preliminary Final where they belted Richmond, but weren’t strong enough to overcome the dominant Blues in the Grand Final. Ablett won his third straight Coleman Medal finishing the season with 122 goals
Peter Landy: Riccardi, for a player going through Ben Graham’s at midfield on his own. Hasn’t seen him yet. He’s going to have to come back and do it again. Now he decides to play on now. He’s got Graham. He could just about kick this. Didn’t go for the long one. Might have been handy had he. Hocking, dispossessed quickly. Opportunity for Lord. Snapshot, Ablett it on the chest. I said snapshot maybe I did him an injustice, Gerard.
Gerard Healy: I think he was uh he saw the great man coming out. It was a pretty good kick in the finish. Aaron Lord uh well, we never forget the game he played against Carlton in a final at Waverley last year. Missed out in a spot in the Grand Final, but has all the skills and has a great career in front of him.
Peter Landy: So Gary Ablett back into the side today. 114 goals against his name so far in the year from 35m out directly in front. Goal umpire runs across but it looks pretty good. It’s a goal. So Ablett gets his first, the first of the game. Geelong leading by five points.
Gerard Healy: Well, you saw how much that ball is going to bend with this wind that’s basically going across the ground. Well, let’s just have another look at the way this goal develops. Good work from Gary Hocking on the bottom of the pack. An excellent kick around the corner on the non-preferred left foot by Aaron Lord. And Ablett just punches the ball into the wind. Pierces the goal before it breaks.
Peter McKenna: So, Peter Quill obviously the designated kicker for today. Bring it in again. Now he spotted someone out here. Oh, it’s a dangerous kick but it’s marked there by Allen. Shane Allen. Brad Johnson center wing tries to keep it low. Ben Graham oooh he was caught around the neck then. Brown some good shepherding, Mansfield. They’re backing each other up well Geelong at the moment. Barnes to Sholl, on to Lord. Back to Sholl and McGrath. Look at these backline players running. McGrath’s going to have a shot. He lobs it in the square, Ablett! Had his name written all over that, once he’s one out. Once he is one out with an opponent, he’ll beat most guys. And Rohan Smith, good news, is back on the ground as we see this in replay.
Gerard Healy: That’s a terrific kick by Tim McGrath. Ablett actually dummied to his right and McGrath decided to kick it long over the heads of both players. And as you said Pete, once Ablett’s one out and the ball’s coming in his direction, he’s almost impossible to beat.
Peter McKenna: So the Geelong star will kick for his second right in front. 45° angle and he pops it through. Gary Ablett acknowledges the good play up the ground. He’s kicked two and Geelong careering away 6.5 plays 1.4.
Gerard Healy: Well, that’s just I guess what Allen Joyce wouldn’t have wanted. He knows that perhaps there’s a bit of a confidence problem with his charges after last week’s defeat over at Subiaco. And he would have been looking to resurrect the team’s confidence with a win down here at Kardinia Park given that they haven’t won here for 10 years. And I think it’s only been four times since 1950. It was always going to be a difficult task, but Geelong is certainly in control at present.
Peter Landy: Footscray working their way back into the match. Barnes does well. Cameron good smother by Brewer. Back to Wynd pass Couch. The two Brownlow medalists. Wynd wins that, one out of bounds on the full. Yes, it was. So Tim McGrath to take the free kick. Lord on his own again. Lord from left center wing. Oh, Riccardi. Great mark. Speed to burn. The hand pass is on to Graham. Long kick down towards full forward. Ablett and Nicholson. Ablett again. Just too strong Gerard.
Gerard Healy: Just ability. That isn’t too much class on that occasion. Just uh it’s the third time today that we’ve seen him just shuffle Brad Nicholson out of the way. Just have a look at the size of the arms on the two combatants there. Nicholson is probably about 10 years behind him in muscle development. Gary Ablett one of the strongest players pound for pound, that you would ever come up against.
Peter Landy: 35m out directly in front. Ablett kicks and Ablett goals, his third. 3-1 out of Geelong’s tally of 7.6, Footscray 3.4.
Gerard Healy: I guess it’ll be important Pete for Brad Nicholson just to uh keep positive. He is playing against the recognized superstar of the competition and it’s pretty tough when you’re one out against a guy like that to uh to beat him. He’s just got to keep on keeping on and when the one-on-ones come down perhaps take another tack perhaps play from behind cos when he’s one out and he’s in front he’s just getting bustled out of it by…
Peter McKenna: Quill. He loves those snapshots around the corner Ablett on well both sides of his body. A good punch away by Wynd. Excellent effort. That’s Sexton getting it little Libba. He’s trying his heart out as usual on to West. Punched away by McGrath. Smith. Liberatore again. He’s getting plenty of touches to the half forward line. Daniel Hargraves in front. Thumped away by Ben Graham. Good play by Sholl as he’s got some confidence now. On to Aaron Lord. Here’s Ablett. One out with Nicholson. Ablett. Oh, use of the body, brilliant. He races in to goal. Gary Ablett goes bang, and kicks his fourth. Sheer class again once he’s one out, Gerard, you can’t beat him.
Gerard Healy: No and particularly when the kick is as good as Aaron Lord’s was he is really having a great day in the center for Geelong, just coming off the wing and then playing a midfield role. Let’s just see there is some suggestion that Ablett may have grabbed his leg when he kicked this ball but once again he was one out.
Peter McKenna: The physio’s gone out to him.
Gerard Healy: And you can see there there was just some sort of motion towards the right thigh.
