'Shattered me': Gary Ablett Sr's shame over hotel room tragedy

Gary Ablett Sr has revealed he’s still tormented by the overdose death of Alisha Horan 20 years ago.

Horan died after she took a combination of heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines while partying with Ablett in 2000.

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The 20-year-old Horan, who was described by her father as an infatuated fan of the AFL legend, died in Ablett’s hotel room at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne.

Hall of Famer Ablett was later cleared of criminal charges but fined $1500 for using and possessing heroin and ecstasy.

Now, some 20 years later, Ablett has given a rare interview in which he opened up about his greatest “shame”.

Speaking in a Facebook Live interview with charity Reclink Australia, Ablett said the tragedy “broke me as a person”.

“There’s been times, especially when, with moral failure some 20 years ago where I was involved in drugs and there was a young lady that overdosed... I can’t tell you how much that shattered me, how much it broke me as a person,” the 59-year-old said.

“It still grieves me to this day.

“It’s only been my relationship with Jesus Christ that has got me through. Without him, I couldn’t have kept going; after that happened I didn’t want to be here for a number of years and I said to God, ‘you should have taken me instead’.

“It’s been a very painful experience… if only I could go back in time and change thing I would, unfortunately we don’t get that opportunity.

“That’s why choices in life are so important because once we’ve made a choice or a decision, we don’t get the chance to go back in time and change it.

“We need to make sure that we get our decisions right the first time, that’s been a big lesson for me, but I just wish I had have known that a lot earlier.”

Gary Ablett hopes others learn from his mistakes

Ablett said he was speaking out to encourage others to learns from his indescretions.

“No one likes emotional pain – especially long-term – and it’s so easy to want to turn to things to numb our pain, to escape reality,” he said.

“But the problem is when the drugs wear off and the alcohol wears off, we not only wake up with a hangover, our problems are back worse than ever often because what we’ve done while we’ve been on the drugs or on the drink can add more pain, or even shame, to our lives.

“We need to make sure that we get our decisions right the first time – that’s been a big lesson for me. I just wish I had have known that a lot earlier.”

Alan Horan has spoken out in condemnation of Ablett in the years since his daughter’s death and has reportedly never forgiven him.

Two years ago Mr Horan claimed Ablett has never apologised to his family and doesn’t believe anything he says.

Ablett played 248 VFL/AFL games across his illustrious career (242 with Geelong), kicking 1031 goals.

In 2005 he was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, but after a delay of several years due to the death of Horan.

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