Warragul will play host to football royalty this week as Gary Ablett Jr visits the town to promote the Gippsland Festival of Racing.
The former Geelong and Gold Coast superstar will be hosting 'An Evening With Gary Ablett Jr in Warragul' this Thursday night at the Railway Hotel. The event will feature a live Q and A, memorabilia and a silent auction.
From there, Mr Ablett will make an appearance at the Gippsland Festival Warragul Cup at the Warragul Greyhound Club on Friday night, which is set to be a feature of the club's greyhound racing season.
Local community and sporting groups can enter a competition to be allocated a greyhound for the night, with a top prize of $5000 up for grabs.
The event will be the second in a series of three that make up the Gippsland Festival of Racing, which began in Sale late last year and will conclude in Traralgon later this month.
Mr Ablett will be trackside for the races, giving locals the chance to meet the legend. Entry to the track will be free, though tickets for entry into the club itself and meals can be purchased via the Warragul Greyhound Club's website. Gates open at 6:30pm.
The son of Geelong legend Gary Ablett Sr, Ablett Jr quickly made a name for himself as one of the top players in the AFL. A two-time Brownlow medallist and two-time premiership player, he is now regarded as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
The Abletts have close family ties to the local area, as Ablett Sr was born and raised in Drouin.
Tickets for 'An Evening With Gary Ablett Jr in Warragul' can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/an-evening-with-gary-ablett-jnr-in-warragul-tickets-489071153987