Yes I'm sorry, that is the pun. But truly, the word "atwitter" did exist before a popular social media website. Look it up! Yet I digress...
Personally I found it quite disappointing that Ablett was unable to play. On the whole the Geelong supporters I know or have read feedback from on twitter have been fantastic; they respect Gary for everything he achieved with and for the club and would have given him a warm reception indeed.
And I can understand it. I can say hand on heart that if my beloved Buddy Franklin or Luke Hodge signed with Greater Western Sydney tomorrow then I can assure you the first thing I would do would be to scour the draw to find the first match they played against Hawthorn so that I could get the best seats possible to applaud them and congratulate them for everything they've done for the Hawthorn Football Club. They would lose no respect in my eyes whatsoever.
There are those, however, who have a different perspective on these situations. So with this in mind I must share this letter written to my local newspaper, Albury/Wodonga's award winning Border Morning Mail, by a family less than pleased with little Gaz's new career choice. I have chosen not to divulge their names (and believe me, they were more than happy to put their names to this) so that there may be no repercussions;
"GARY, please don’t insult us any more.
There were plenty of challenges for you at Geelong, perhaps you could look at Leigh Matthews, Jonathon Brown, James Hird, Dustin Fletcher or Arch for examples.
Instead you chose to look at the “challenges” that faced Greg Williams at Carlton, Geelong, Sydney and Carlton again.
Simple, both Pickering and you like Lebron went for the cash.
You sold out.
To hell with the club that has nurtured you and your family.
I know that people change employers all the time to hope to better their lives but football should be different and is different.
Don’t we want it to be tribal.
Gary, how many pairs of shoes do you want?
How many cars, investment properties, swimming pools, flat screen TVs?
When will you have enough?
We can understand Pickering but you!
We’re gutted, Geelong players may put a spin on it but they would be totally gutted as well.
We were naive.
We ignored the media hoping and thinking you would put the team and teammates first.
You only had to do it for another 2000 well-paid days, probably ending your career as the most decorated Geelong player of all time.
The greatest.
You more than likely will do well at the Gold Coast but you will be remembered as the ex-Geelong player who sold out.
Does anyone really believe that this is for the better?
It just inflates the cost of football quicker while promoting greed and disloyalty.
Geelong has been a model club.
Loyal to its coach and players such as Egan, Stokes, N. Ablett, Lonegan, while providing opportunities for Mumford and Prismall.
This loyalty will probably delay future success but they make us proud.
We do not look forward to more advertising on the jumpers and the coaches shirts.
We do not look forward to more ads during the telecast.
We do not look forward to more name changes to stadiums.
We will protest the only way we can by not attending games.
Perhaps our fellow Geelong supporters could protest as well.
As John Kennedy says “do something”.
When attending the Geelong, Gold Coast retirees game just turn your backs.
Don’t boo him that is predictable and tacky. Just silence. Doesn’t make for good television that.
We’re bitter, that is obvious but to all other supporters out there it could be Sandilands, Goodes, Goddard or Swan next to Western Sydney.
Someone will be sitting beside the new coach in the new shirt, clapping each other on the shoulder like the oldest of mates, smiling like a burst watermelon, saying what a difficult decision it was but I needed the challenge.
Yes, Gary, we’ll explain that to the kids who have your picture on the wall, you left Geelong because you needed a challenge."
Well, well. Pretty ribald stuff don't you think?
Unfortunately one of my curses in life is a long memory so this was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the news Gary would not be playing was this letter. And to twitter I retorted:
"Feel sorry for the family that wrote the letter to the @bordermail in October. Now they can't turn their back on Gaz at Skilled. #Tossers"
I believe there's some sort of idiom about not passing judgement until you walk a mile in a man's shoes. All I can say is you'd want to walk it mighty quick given the half marathon Gaz covers in every game he plays. However, with this in mind, I will agree with some of the things written in the letter.
Well, well. Pretty ribald stuff don't you think?
Unfortunately one of my curses in life is a long memory so this was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the news Gary would not be playing was this letter. And to twitter I retorted:
"Feel sorry for the family that wrote the letter to the @bordermail in October. Now they can't turn their back on Gaz at Skilled. #Tossers"
I believe there's some sort of idiom about not passing judgement until you walk a mile in a man's shoes. All I can say is you'd want to walk it mighty quick given the half marathon Gaz covers in every game he plays. However, with this in mind, I will agree with some of the things written in the letter.
I believe, that from his salary at Geelong let alone the Suns, Gary has as many cars as he would like.
He would have enough investment properties.
He would have enough flat screen TVs, swimming pools, and dollars in the bank.
And fortunately, given the rate he would wear through them at 20km a game, Gary would have enough shoes.
What he would not have enough of, nor probably any of if you took the moment to walk in his many shoes, is anonymity. Do you think that Gary Ablett could possibly walk down the main street of Geelong without being asked for an autograph several times a day? Without being asked for a photo? Could he eat a meal in a restaurant without many sets of eyes on him? I can't imagine he wouldn't have been interrupted in the middle of a meal with such a request from time to time.
And when we consider how much his father shunned the spotlight. When we consider how hard he tried to shelter his children from the media glare, an attention that both Nathan and Gary tried to avoid at all costs themselves when playing their junior football, we can understand what the Gold Coast could offer Gary that Geelong never would be able to. Relative anonymity.
Fame, with its perks, has its drawbacks too. I for one could not handle that intrusion of privacy. That Gaz did for so long, well, he's a better person than me.
So what exactly am I trying to say? Little more than I did at the start of this post; Geelong fans should feel blessed to have had Gaz when they did and they should be incredibly appreciative to have had such a wonderful player and person represent their club so much and so well. And they should understand that he did not take the money and run. We've all been told that money isn't everything in life and whilst Gary would have more than most of us could ever hope to earn, I don't think his sojourn to the Gold Coast is about greater earning power neither is it about breaking loyalties. I believe if you give 100% in every game you play for your football club then that is how you define loyalty. Gary Ablett Jnr has it in spades and should be respected as such.
There were other points raised in the letter that were completely emotional and ridiculously illogical and if I had the time I'd belittle those too but it's time to come down from my fridge shaped soapbox for my first time. Yet make no mistake; the signings that the GCS and GWS are making that are changing the fabric of the game as we know it are merely the tip of the iceberg and not the major concern. Free agency is coming, the ramifications of which will not be pretty.
It's a great segue to my next post to come, the Phil Davis situation. It shouldn't surprise you that I'll be fighting in his corner too, the poor bloke needs a few mates at the moment because he's short a few and I'm not sure he deserves that.
Until then, this is White Ox stepping off his soapbox. I must, as I have developed an inexplicable urge to go and purchase some shoes.
Stay well everyone,
He would have enough investment properties.
He would have enough flat screen TVs, swimming pools, and dollars in the bank.
And fortunately, given the rate he would wear through them at 20km a game, Gary would have enough shoes.
What he would not have enough of, nor probably any of if you took the moment to walk in his many shoes, is anonymity. Do you think that Gary Ablett could possibly walk down the main street of Geelong without being asked for an autograph several times a day? Without being asked for a photo? Could he eat a meal in a restaurant without many sets of eyes on him? I can't imagine he wouldn't have been interrupted in the middle of a meal with such a request from time to time.
And when we consider how much his father shunned the spotlight. When we consider how hard he tried to shelter his children from the media glare, an attention that both Nathan and Gary tried to avoid at all costs themselves when playing their junior football, we can understand what the Gold Coast could offer Gary that Geelong never would be able to. Relative anonymity.
Fame, with its perks, has its drawbacks too. I for one could not handle that intrusion of privacy. That Gaz did for so long, well, he's a better person than me.
So what exactly am I trying to say? Little more than I did at the start of this post; Geelong fans should feel blessed to have had Gaz when they did and they should be incredibly appreciative to have had such a wonderful player and person represent their club so much and so well. And they should understand that he did not take the money and run. We've all been told that money isn't everything in life and whilst Gary would have more than most of us could ever hope to earn, I don't think his sojourn to the Gold Coast is about greater earning power neither is it about breaking loyalties. I believe if you give 100% in every game you play for your football club then that is how you define loyalty. Gary Ablett Jnr has it in spades and should be respected as such.
There were other points raised in the letter that were completely emotional and ridiculously illogical and if I had the time I'd belittle those too but it's time to come down from my fridge shaped soapbox for my first time. Yet make no mistake; the signings that the GCS and GWS are making that are changing the fabric of the game as we know it are merely the tip of the iceberg and not the major concern. Free agency is coming, the ramifications of which will not be pretty.
It's a great segue to my next post to come, the Phil Davis situation. It shouldn't surprise you that I'll be fighting in his corner too, the poor bloke needs a few mates at the moment because he's short a few and I'm not sure he deserves that.
Until then, this is White Ox stepping off his soapbox. I must, as I have developed an inexplicable urge to go and purchase some shoes.
Stay well everyone,
Whitey
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