APCO opening fuels a local passion

HUNDREDS of Cats fans young and old turned out to welcome home their club’s favourite son at APCO’s Grovedale’s Grand Opening on Sunday.

Gary Ablett Jr made a special appearance during the event, signing autographs, posing for photos with eager youngsters and long-time fans, and answering questions from Cats legend Tim McGrath.

“It’s great to be down here and great to be around family,” he said.

“As everyone knows, I’ve been traded back to the Cats and I’m super excited about that, and jumping into pre-season in a couple of weeks and hopefully helping the club win plenty of games this year.”

Ablett Jr has played 302 games in total and will become a 200-game Cats player in round 8 of the 2018 season, assuming he plays in every game from round 1.

The event also included monster trucks, face painting, and lots of balloons for the children.