Geelong coach Chris Scott has said he would love to see Gary Ablett at the club next season, but only on the right terms.
Ablett requested a trade back to his former club at the end of last season, and in an interview with The Footy Show just one month ago, said making the same request at the end of this year is a possibility.
The 33-year-old has also kept his options open to remain at the Suns however, with his contract expiring at the end of 2018.
With his future up in the air, Scott said he would welcome the two-time Geelong premiership player back, but only if he could fit in with a number of criterias.
"The answer is 'it depends' and it is for every single player in the competition. It's a bit like saying, 'Do you want (Fremantle captain) Nat Fyfe?' The short answer is 'yes', but on the right terms," Scott told Channel Nine's Footy Classified on Monday night.
"It depends on what the deal would be, how it would impact our TPP [total player payments]. If there's a cross on any one of probably five or six criteria, it's a 'no'.
"Would I like, as head coach, him being in our team? The answer is the same as it was last year – yeah, of course."
Despite struggling earlier in the season, Ablett has gotten his year back on track, and is averaging 32 disposals a game through the first eight rounds.
Scott then admitted that while someone of Ablett's age isn't normally on a club's wish list, the midfielder is no doubt an exception to the rule.
"Not many 33-year-old's fit anyone's (list). He might be the best player of all time so he is a little bit unique in that respect," Scott said.
"That is something that the club will work through."
