Deep down inside, Gary Ablett hopes this is the last time he wins the Gold Coast Club Champion award so easily.
The Suns' inspirational skipper picked up his second best and fairest gong in as many years on Saturday night at a sold-out gala event in Southport with a total of 215 votes.
Ablett averaged roughly 25 possessions and three marks per game and remains a genuine chance of picking up his second Brownlow medal this month, even though the Coast won just three games for the year.
Next best in the count was Harley Bennell with 163 votes. Then it was daylight - third-placed Danny Stanley finished with 84 votes.
While delighted that the rest of the top 10 contained younger, more unheralded names like Tom Lynch, Charlie Dixon and Dion Prestia, Ablett knows that the gap between himself and his team-mates needs to close.
And he senses that it is, but slowly.
That goal wasn't helped by a disastrous run with injury that not only claimed some key senior names, but also kept other players from getting any sort of continuity in training.
But for the first half of the year, when the Suns went winless, effortless Ablett was easily head and shoulders above anyone else in the Gold Coast side. Forty-plus disposal hauls were the norm.
However, a successful finish to the season - marked by wins over Richmond, GWS and most famously Carlton - saw a more even spread of contributors emerge.
"The wins we had in the second half of the year, it was a real team effort," Ablett said.
"I don't think there were too many individuals that stood out. Everyone played their role and that's what's going to help us win games.
"There's no doubt we've taken a step forward. Individually there's some players who have stepped up and really matured.
"The hard thing is we had a lot of players that were injured this year.
"I don't think there were too many players who played a full season, so I think that was why there was such a big gap.
"But hopefully we can have a big pre-season, and guys can come out and we're lucky with injuries next year."
Second-placed Bennell also scooped up the award for Most Improved throughout the season, which last year went to his former housemate, Karmichael Hunt, who he credits for saving his career.
"There's no doubt he's the future of the club," Ablett said of the silky-smooth Bennell.
WA product Kyal Horsley was the other big winner on the night. Starting the year on the rookie list and with no realistic hopes of playing AFL football, he won the Most Professional award and also the 'Iron Man' award, recognising his one percenters.
The club's first four list changes were also announced the retiring Josh Fraser, mature-aged pair Michael Coad and Andrew McQualter and SA product Hayden Jolly have all been delisted.
1 Comments
Take ablett out of the game and they actually play like it's a team effort but put him in and it's ablett v's the rest of his team.
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