Geelong recruit Gary Ablett no longer measures his performance on the same criteria he once did but he admits it's been difficult to adjust to not being a permanent midfielder.
The 34-year-old said he was disappointed in his 17-disposal game against Essendon in round nine but it wasn't because he had a relatively low possession count.
Rather he was judging his performance on whether he fulfilled the role he was expected to play and whether he positively influenced the team's performance.
Ablett is getting used to his new role.
Photo: AAP
"People should not expect that I am going to get 30 plus possessions every week. I am trying to play my role for the team," Ablett said.
The dual-Brownlow medalist has suffered two minor hamstring injuries since the start of the season meaning he has played just six of the first nine games as he adjusts to playing alongside new teammates.
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Ablett said he also recognised he had to vary the amount of time he spent in the midfield to ensure the balance of the team was right but he was frank in how he felt at times as he reaches the twilight of his extraordinary career.
"It can be hard especially when I played in the midfield for such a long time," Ablett said.
"I am a competitive person. I love it when the game is on the line but I need to adjust."
He kicked a goal in the first quarter of his first game back at GMHBA Stadium since round 22, 2010 and the crowd roared every time his bald head bobbed around the ground carrying the ball. In the end he finished with 25 disposals and eight tackles.
Next Saturday he will return to the Gold Coast for his first game against the team he captained for six years and played with for seven seasons.
It's also worth remembering he won the Suns' best and fairest last season, his fourth for the fledgling club.
Chris Scott praised Ablett's game saying he spent more time inside the contest and therefore had more impact on the match with the Cats confident he will only improve on the form he has shown in the first half of the season.
Peter Ryan joined The Age in 2017 having covered AFL as a senior reporter with AFL Media.
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