After stamping himself as one of the most decorated players in AFL history by winning his second Brownlow Medal on Monday, Gary Ablett Junior openly gave witness to his faith on the AFL’s night-of-nights.
The Gold Coast Suns captain first thanked teammates and family for their support in a speech he gave after winning the award.
“Most of all I want to thank God, because without him I couldn’t be up here tonight,” he concluded.
The event was attended by hundreds of the league’s best players and their wives and girlfriends, and was viewed on television by almost one million people.
Last week, Ablett spoke for the first time about his faith in God on the sport’s most popular television show.
The 29-year-old appeared on The Footy Show to accept the Lou Richards Medal for the 2013 season, but Sam Newman’s questions about his faith appeared unrehearsed.
In May, Ablett posted a photo on his Twitter account showing himself and two other Suns players praying before a match.
“[My faith] is very important to me, it’s everything to me,” Ablett told the live audience and the 753,000 viewers around the country.
“Without God, I couldn’t do the things I do, he gives me that opportunity.
“Before every game, we get in there, the boys come in, we have a bit of a prayer session and we get out there and enjoy our footy.”
While praying before a match might not be for everyone at the club, Ablett said anyone was welcome.
“Anyone’s welcome to come along,” he said. “We’ve got the chaplain that comes in with us. We spend some time with the boys and it’s open to anyone who wants to come in.”
The five-time Best and Fairest winner said match day was not the only time players at the club came together to pray.
“We have a life group during the week where we all get together,” he said.
“It’s a place where the boys can come along and we talk about issues in our life that we’re struggling with and… we read the Bible [and] we pray.”
The 253-game veteran’s public witness even impressed the normally confrontational Newman.
“What a unique and refreshing role model in this society when things go a little awry, and if the AFL pointed at anyone, look no further than this man,” he said.
Earlier this month, Ablett was named in the All-Australian side for the seventh consecutive year, as well as winning the AFL Players Association award for the fifth time.
He is just the fifth player in VFL/AFL history to win the league’s most prestigious award at two different clubs.