Geelong and Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett Jnr has shut the door on a possible AFL comeback.
Ablett, who retired after last year’s Grand Final, floated the prospect of a potential mid-season return to Geelong via the mid-season draft.
"I actually called Andrew Mackie (list management at the Cats) and said, 'Mate, if you had let me know you were recruiting those guys I would have stayed around for another year'," Ablett told Newscorp in April.
"He had a bit of a laugh and I said, 'If there is such a thing as a six or seven-game contract please let me know because I will be ready for the last three or four games of the season and finals football'."
But speaking on SEN WA Breakfast with Gilly and Goss, Ablett clarified those comments and further stated that he is happy in retirement.
“There will be no comeback. That was tongue-in-cheek,” Ablett said.
“I did say that I would be open to the conversation if the club did approach me about it and that was more out of respect for the football club.
“If they were wanting to have that conversation, there would be a very good reason for it.
“I found out after making that comment that I think it’s impossible – it can’t happen. With the AFL rules in place, it means a retired player needs to be out of the game for at least 12 months.
“Happy in retired life, happy spending more quality time with my family and I’ve got a lot of other things that I’m passionate about. I’m enjoying investing time into that.”
Ablett will go down as one of the greatest players to grace the game with his CV unmatched in the modern era.
The 36-year-old played 357 games for the Cats and Suns, won two Brownlow Medals, is a dual premiership player, an eight-time All-Australian and a five-time Leigh Matthews Trophy winner.
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