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Geoff Ablett

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Geoff Ablett

| image =

| fullname = Geoffrey Norman Ablett

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|3|13|df=y}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Drouin

| height = 180 cm

| weight = 80 kg

| position =Wing

| statsend = 1985

| careerhighlights = * Hawthorn premiership player (1976, 1978)

| years1 = 1973–1982

| club1 = Hawthorn

| games_goals1 = 202 (135)

| years2 = 1983–1984

| club2 = Richmond

| games_goals2 = {{0}}16 {{0}}(12)

| years3 = 1985

| club3 = St Kilda

| games_goals3 = {{0}}11 {{0|00}}(6)

| games_goalstotal = 229 (153)

}}

Geoff Ablett (born 13 March 1955) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1970s and 1980s, and later a local government councillor and Liberal Party candidate for state office, who was found by an anti-corruption investigation to have received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a controversial property developer in exchange for favourable planning decisions.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-26 |title=Victorian MPs and two councillors accepted money and donations to further developer’s goals, Ibac finds |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/27/victorian-mps-and-two-councillors-accepted-money-and-donations-to-further-developers-goals-ibac-finds |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

Football career

Ablett spent the majority of his career with Hawthorn, playing 202 games on the wing. Ablett finished with short stints at Richmond and St Kilda. His younger brother Gary Ablett Sr is a Hall of Fame inductee. A third brother, Kevin, also played for Hawthorn, Richmond and Geelong. Geoff Ablett was known for his burst of speed as player, winning the AFL Grand Final Sprint competition four times.{{cite web |url=http://www.hardballget.net/grand-final-sprint.html |title=Grand Final Sprint - Winners, Entrants, History - HARD BALL GET |accessdate=17 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129081629/http://www.hardballget.net/grand-final-sprint.html |archivedate=29 November 2014 }}

Politics and anti-corruption investigation

In December 2008 and [https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/former-city-of-casey-councillor-geoff-ablett-says-ibac-has-blood-on-its-hands/news-story/b71bf519483ceeb415d91c8c64ce94ed 2013], Ablett was elected mayor of City of Casey Council, one of Victoria's biggest councils.

Ablett was the unsuccessful Liberal Party candidate for the Electoral district of Cranbourne at both the 2010{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/elections/vic/2010/guide/cran.htm|title=Cranbourne - 2010 Victorian Election - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation }} and 2014 Victorian state election.{{Cite web|url=https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/vic-election-2014/guide/cran/?nw=0|title=Cranbourne - Victorian Election 2014 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)}}

Ablett was a councillor at the City of Casey when it was dismissed in 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/casey-council-to-be-run-by-administrators-until-2024-20200218-p541td.html|title = Casey council sacked for four years as watchdog finds bullying, 'unacceptable behaviour'|date = 18 February 2020}} This dismissal of the council followed an investigation by the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission into “allegations property developer John Woodman paid City of Casey councillors in exchange for favourable planning votes.” The hearing heard that Ablett “received more than $300,000 from Mr Woodman”, including “$5,000 a month to look after” a racehorse that Mr Woodman was a part owner of. Mr Ablett responded that racehorses “are very expensive to keep.”{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-28/ibac-told-developer-paid-councillor-50k-to-look-after-horse/11747242|title=Developer at centre of corruption inquiry paid councillor $5k a month to look after horse that didn't race|newspaper=ABC News|date=28 November 2019}}

In July 2023, Ablett was named as a key figure in IBAC's Operation Sandon report. He was found to have promoted local developer John Woodman's interests on council in exchange for payment, having 'received more than $500,000 in payments and other financial benefits from Mr Woodman between 2010 and 2019.' Mr Woodman also made donations to Ablett's campaigns when he was the Liberal Party candidate for Cranbourne in 2010 and 2014.{{Cite web |title=download |url=https://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/media/1174/download |website=www.ibac.vic.gov.au}}{{cite web |title=IBAC Operation Sandon report news LIVE: Corruption watchdog tables report into allegations of corruption at City of Casey |date=2023-07-27 |website=The Age |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727070437/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/ibac-operation-sandon-report-news-live-corruption-watchdog-to-table-report-into-allegations-of-corruption-at-city-of-casey-20230726-p5drk1.html?btis= |archive-date=2023-07-27 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/ibac-operation-sandon-report-news-live-corruption-watchdog-to-table-report-into-allegations-of-corruption-at-city-of-casey-20230726-p5drk1.html?btis=}}

Personal life

Ablett is the brother of AFL legend Gary Ablett.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-29 |title=The Abletts - a hierarchy of football's greatest family |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/list/the-abletts-a-hierarchy-of-footballs-greatest-family-afl-gary-ablett-tuck-shane-travis-kevin-geoff-michael-senior-junior-geelong-cats-hawthorn-gold-coast/15lx48tk0djh61ok2p7swb2a9z |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=www.sportingnews.com |language=en-gb}}

His son Ryan, who was once rookie listed at Hawthorn, died in 2009 at the age of 27.[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25257768-661,00.html Ablett family hit by tragedy]

Statistics

:[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Geoff_Ablett.html Geoff Ablett's player profile at AFL Tables]

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1973

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 7 || 0 || 5 || 71 || 8 || 79 || 17 || {{n/a}} || 0.0 || 0.7 || 10.1 || 1.1 || 11.3 || 2.4 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1974

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 25 || 20 || 29 || 364 || 81 || 445 || 65 || {{n/a}} || 0.8 || 1.2 || 14.6 || 3.2 || 17.8 || 2.6 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1975

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 22 || 14 || 19 || 304 || 43 || 347 || 60 || {{n/a}} || 0.6 || 0.9 || 14.5 || 2.0 || 16.5 || 2.9 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 1976

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 23 || 11 || 22 || 365 || 55 || 420 || 58 || {{n/a}} || 0.5 || 1.0 || 15.9 || 2.4 || 18.3 || 2.5 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1977

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 24 || 8 || 15 || 395 || 78 || 473 || 75 || {{n/a}} || 0.3 || 0.7 || 16.5 || 3.3 || 19.7 || 3.1 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1978

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 25 || 15 || 21 || 354 || 91 || 445 || 62 || {{n/a}} || 0.6 || 0.8 || 14.2 || 3.6 || 17.8 || 2.5 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1979

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 16 || 11 || 24 || 231 || 67 || 298 || 46 || {{n/a}} || 0.7 || 1.5 || 14.4 || 4.2 || 18.6 || 2.9 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1980

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 19 || 16 || 23 || 274 || 96 || 370 || 66 || {{n/a}} || 0.8 || 1.2 || 14.4 || 5.1 || 19.5 || 3.5 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1981

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 17 || 19 || 23 || 273 || 62 || 335 || 43 || {{n/a}} || 1.1 || 1.4 || 16.1 || 3.6 || 19.7 || 2.5 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1982

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Haw}}

| 2 || 24 || 21 || 26 || 360 || 131 || 491 || 89 || {{n/a}} || 0.9 || 1.1 || 15.0 || 5.5 || 20.5 || 3.7 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1983

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Ric}}

| 4 || 5 || 8 || 8 || 70 || 21 || 91 || 15 || {{n/a}} || 1.6 || 1.6 || 14.0 || 4.2 || 18.2 || 3.0 || {{n/a}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1984

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL Ric}}

| 4 || 11 || 4 || 9 || 146 || 25 || 171 || 31 || {{n/a}} || 0.4 || 0.8 || 13.3 || 2.3 || 15.5 || 2.8 || {{n/a}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1985

|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL StK}}

| 15 || 11 || 6 || 10 || 187 || 31 || 218 || 38 || {{n/a}} || 0.5 || 0.9 || 17.0 || 2.8 || 19.8 || 3.5 || {{n/a}}

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 229

! 153

! 234

! 3394

! 789

! 4183

! 665

! {{n/a}}

! 0.7

! 1.0

! 14.9

! 3.5

! 18.3

! 2.9

! {{n/a}}

|}

{{Ablett family tree}}

Notes

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{AFL Tables | G/Geoff_Ablett }}

{{1976/78 Hawthorn dual premiership players}}

{{Ablett family tree}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ablett, Geoff}}

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people

Geoff

Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)

Category:Hawthorn Football Club players

Category:Hawthorn Football Club premiership players

Category:Richmond Football Club players

Category:St Kilda Football Club players

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen