Ablett flying the flag for underdogs

Gold Coast Suns captain Gary Ablett taking the Saints apart last week. Picture: Chris Hyde. Source: Getty Images

GARY Ablett's status as the best player in the AFL was confirmed last week when he willed his Gold Coast Suns to victory over St Kilda.

He's caused nightmares in the past for former Swans coach Paul Roos and now he's doing the same to John Longmire ahead of today's match at the SCG, where the Swans will unfurl their premiership flag.

The former Geelong star saw two flags unfurled at Skilled Stadium, so Neil Cordy began his exclusive interview with Gary Ablett by asking the champ whether pre-game ceremonies inspire the players.

Ablett: It's a fantastic tradition but it's really one for the fans. It gives them the opportunity to rejoice in the premiership victory but the Swans players will have spent six months working hard like all the other teams to try and win another one.

Cordy: People have raved about your performance last week. How do you rate it?

Ablett: Individually it was nice to be on the end of a couple and get a bit of the footy. But I think the team showed some really good signs, we just need to build on that.

Cordy: The debate about you and your dad about who's the best. What does your dad make of it all?

Ablett: He's pretty clear he has got me well and truly covered (laughing). To be honest is not something that we really talk about.

Cordy: A win against St Kilda would have helped the Suns' belief. Can you rain on the Swans' parade?

Ablett: That's the plan. We understand that they are a fantastic team and we can learn so much from them.

Cordy: Are the Suns better in 2013?

Ablett: Yes I think we are and we need to be. We know where we want to go and this is an important year for us as we aim to move up the ladder.

Cordy: Where has the improvement come from?

Ablett: I think there will be some natural improvement, however, the boys have showed they are benefiting from a stronger and tougher pre-season.

Cordy: What parts of the Suns' game would you like to see the Suns improve this season?

Ablett: Team defence has been an area we have been working on a lot over the summer. What has been evident over the pre-season is that when we get that right there is a flow-on effect to other areas of our game.

Cordy: Do you see your game evolving in the coming years?

Ablett: If I move forward more often I'll be expected to kick a few more goals and that's another challenge that I look forward to.

Cordy: What drives you as a footballer? Has it changed?

Ablett: I'm a competitor, I love the competition and I love to win so yeah, it hasn't been easy over the last couple of years although what it does do is make you hungry to succeed in the future and I think we all feel that at the Suns.

Cordy: You said during an interview with Mike Sheehan that you got sick of footy for a while as a teenager. How do you feel about it now and what changed it back then?

Ablett: I always loved the game, plenty of families can probably relate to it, you can simply only fit so much into your weekends and for a period of time I preferred to do other things instead of play footy. I also loved skating and surfing as well as basketball but fortunately footy was never too far away.

Cordy: You get tagged every week. Do you do homework on taggers? Do you watch vision of your taggers?

Ablett: You do a little bit of homework on them but you actually learn the most about them when you're playing on them. Usually we have a fair idea who might be doing the job and that's really based on history, but you always keep your eye out if you think you might be in for a surprise.

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