Thompson focuses on winning, not Ablett - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Thompson focuses on winning, not Ablett

22/05/2010 03:35:08 PM Comments (0)

Geelong coach Mark Thompson admits his focus on trying to win AFL games is helping him forget about Gary Ablett's contract situation.

The Cats resoundingly passed another test when they beat in-form Collingwood comfortably on Friday night and regained top spot on the ladder.

But Ablett's playing future beyond 2010 remains the great unspoken at Skilled Stadium, and Thompson said on Saturday he was unsure whether the Brownlow medallist would re-sign or join the Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast's offer for Ablett to be their marquee player when they enter the competition next year now stands at a reported $2 million.

Thompson said it had been "months" since he had spoken with Ablett about his future, so he was prepared to put the issue on the backburner.

"Gary has got to make a decision," he told radio station SEN.

"We would like it sooner, but it's not going to happen.

"We forget about it and get on with the business of trying to sign the other players up, and go about our business of trying to win games of footy because that's very, very important.

"In the end, we're not distracted by Gary at all, to be honest." Thompson's own future beyond his current contract is also unknown, but he said he had never put pressure on his clubs - Essendon as a player, Geelong as coach - and that all he asked was that the Cats paid him what they thought was reasonable.

Asked if he could understand the dilemma Ablett faced given the size of the Gold Coast's offer, Thompson replied: "Nup." "A lot of our players have stayed for the right reasons, they love playing together, they love playing for Geelong, they love playing footy together," he said.

"That's me too. That's what I love about team sports and what Geelong are doing at the moment. That's just the way I feel." Ablett is far and away the Gold Coast's major recruiting target given the rest of the league's big fish are all committed to their clubs for 2011.

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