Ablett, Gary

Gary Ablett, in full Gary Robert Ablett, (born Oct. 1, 1961, Drouin [near Warragul], Vic., Austl.), Australian rules football player who was celebrated for taking the sport’s “Mark of the Century” against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1994, in which he leaped over two opposing players and caught the ball with one hand while twisting his body several feet in the air. Considered one of the all-time greatest players in the Australian Football League (AFL), Ablett was noted for his ability to kick the ball 65 yards (60 metres) with either foot, his tremendous speed from a standing start, and his great leaping ability. His thrilling play earned him several nicknames during his career, including “Gazza the Great,” “Superman,” and “God.”

Ablett started his career in the Victoria Football League (after 1989 known as the AFL) in 1982 with the Hawthorn Football Club, where he played in only six games before returning home to further develop his skills. He returned to the top league in 1984, signing with the Geelong Football Club. He stayed at Geelong for the remainder of his career, playing 242 games for the Cats before retiring in 1996. He won Geelong’s Best and Fairest (top player) Award in 1984 and served as the team’s cocaptain (1995–96). Ablett was Geelong’s greatest goal scorer, with a career total of 1,021, and in his career he won three Coleman Medals as the league’s leading goal scorer (1993–95). Despite playing in four Grand Finals (the AFL’s championship game), Ablett never won a league title, though he did earn the 1989 Norm Smith Medal for best on ground during a Grand Final. He was named to the AFL’s Team of the Century in 1996 and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Ablett hails from an exceptional footballing family, with two of his brothers, an uncle, and his son all having played professional football.