GARY Ablett has offered a lukewarm commitment to Gold Coast for 2018, saying he wants to focus on football before a final decision at season's end. 

Ablett says he could still see out the final 18 months of his contract at the Suns, but has to work through some off-field issues.

The two-time Brownlow medallist asked for a trade back to Victoria at the end of last season and reiterated last week he could either do the same again in six months or possibly retire.

But speaking to a packed media conference on Tuesday afternoon, Ablett did not close the door to staying at Carrara in 2018.

"Without a doubt. If we can work through some of the things that are going on off-field - I don't know what that looks like and it's not something I want to open up about in this type of setting - but if we can work through that, I'm really enjoying myself up here," Ablett said. 

"It's not something I want to think too long term, I just really want to focus on this year." 

Ablett is contracted until the end of next season, but says family and personal reasons had clouded his future.

He said the scrutiny over his poor performance in round two against Greater Western Sydney and the resulting chatter about what he would do next year had made last week "tough".

Ablett took himself off social media to focus purely on football.

"I guess the biggest thing is when you know whoever has written those articles don't have all the facts, or those people have been misinformed, that can be disappointing, but at the same time, people are welcome to their opinions," Ablett said. 

"I don't know what 2018 looks like for me for personal reasons, family reasons.

"I've been in the game 16 years and I just need to work out where everything is sitting in my life at that time.

"I want to be open and honest as I have been from the start when I asked for the trade at the end of last football season. 

"Nothing's changed, I'm focused on this year and hopefully helping our club play some finals football and then I'll sit down with the club at the end of the year."

Ablett said the his personal situation would determine where – or if – he played next season, not the form of the Suns.