Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Gary Ablett Jnr has waltzed into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at his first attempt, as Essendon great Dustin Fletcher also joined the illustrious halls.
The Little Master joined his father on Tuesday night to further strengthen his claim as the best footballer of the modern era.
The dual Brownlow medallist has one of the most illustrious resumes in footy with two premiership medals, six-club best and fairest, five AFLPA MVPs, eight All-Australians from his 357 games across Geelong and Gold Coast.
Players must be retired for at least five years before being eligible for the Hall of Fame, but Ablett was never going to have to wait as long as his father, who was only inducted in 2005.
“I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be recognised for the Hall of Fame at the end of my career,” Ablett told AFL.com.
“It’s a great honour and I think back to all the hard work that was involved. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have team success and have recognition for individual awards, and I’m very proud of the work I did to make myself the best I could be.”
Ablett paid tribute to his father for helping develop his love of the game.
“When I was little, I knew dad played footy, but I didn’t know how good he was at footy,” he says.
“I just knew enough to know that he played, so I wanted to kick a ball, play with a ball and compete with my brother in the back yard.
“I was so fortunate to have so much time as a little kid being around the change rooms and kicking a footy with senior players, because it’s not until you’re older that you realise something like that just never happens for kids, to develop your love for the game.”
Having won a second premiership at Geelong in 2009, Ablett made the stunning move to the Gold Coast ahead of the 2011 season in what was one of the biggest moves in history to serve as the Suns’ inaugural captain.
“That was the hardest decision I ever had to make, to leave the club I’d barracked for all my life,” Ablett said.
“I really wanted to help develop the young people at Gold Coast as their captain, and obviously, it was an incredible opportunity for me to set myself up for life after footy.
“It was a real growth period for me, but I also realised how privileged I had been at Geelong with so many leaders around me separate to the captains I had at the Cats.
“I don’t have any regrets. I made the move, even though we didn’t play finals while I was there.”
Ablett returned to Geelong in 2018, but he would fall agonisingly short of a fairytale finish, injuring his shoulder in the 2020 grand final loss to Richmond.
“When I look back on it all now, I’m really appreciative the Geelong footy club gave me a chance,” is the Ablett overview of his time at the top in footy.
“All the opportunities and the experiences I had made me realise you have to embrace things in front of you.”
His induction followed that of Essendon legend Dustin Fletcher who cemented his status as one of the great AFL defenders.
The pillar of endurance and possessing a booming right foot, Fletcher played 400 games for the Bombers across 23 seasons, with his first being part of the famous Baby Bombers in their 1993 triumph over Carlton.
Seven years later, he would be part of one of the greatest teams ever assembled as Essendon went 24-1 en route to his second premiership and would continue on until past the age of 40.
“You need a little luck,” he told AFl.com.
“I think I had about 20 operations, but they were never big ones, so I kept my speed. And I probably treated AFL football a bit like local football.
Fletcher attributed a bulk of his success to long-time coach Kevin Sheedy.
“He loved people, but he had that stare, and he put that bit of fear into the opposition and sometimes our players as well,” he said.
“You just wanted to play well for him, and he gave me the confidence to play my game, which was great.”
Still working for the club Fletcher has seen plenty of highs and lows at the Bombers but said he had no regrets from his career.
“Yep, pretty special,” he said. “Especially when you see some of the names on the list. I’m just rapt the AFL made that decision,” he said.
“I’ve seen success and I’ve seen tough times, but I absolutely love it.
“I’m proud of what my career looked like and what Essendon has done for me is very special. It means everything to me.”
2026 Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductees
Tim Evans
John Worsfold
David Kantilla
Hayden Kennedy
Dustin Fletcher
Gary Ablett Jnr
Elevated to legend
Bill Walker
