GARY Ablett's official start date at Geelong remains yet to be determined, with the returned Cat currently overseas ahead of his International Rules duties next month. 

Ablett, 33, was traded back to the club he played 192 games for between 2002-10 last week, after seven years and 110 games at Gold Coast. 

He briefly visited the Victorian town last week to attend the funeral of his sister, Natasha, who tragically passed away nearly two weeks ago.

He has since left the country to embark on a scheduled basketball tour in the US. 

Ablett has been joined by star Hawk Tom Mitchell and Sydney duo Aliir Aliir and Harry Cunningham, and has so far visited New York – and former Essendon captain Jobe Watson at his café Hole In The Wall – and NBA club the Brooklyn Nets and NFL club New York Giants.

Prior to his sister's sudden passing, Ablett had holidayed in the Maldives and visited Papua New Guinea to continue his work with the Gateway Children's Fund; an organisation he's been involved with for many years.  

He is yet to meet with Cats coach Chris Scott, who is understood to be overseas on a study trip. 

Ablett will return to Australia having committed to play in the upcoming two-Test IR series against Ireland for the first time. 

The opening Test will be held in Adelaide on November 12, followed by the second in Perth on November 18. 

Since the Cats made the preliminary final this year, their senior group officially starts pre-season training on December 4, with the younger players to start filtering in two weeks earlier. 

However, Ablett hasn't played since round 20 (the first week of August), having missed the end of the season with a hamstring complaint. 

He started pre-season in late November last year, but had spent three weeks at the club at the start of the off-season working on the shoulder he had season-ending surgery on in July. 

Ablett and his wife Jordan will also have to relocate from the Gold Coast back to Geelong in the coming weeks. 

With midfielder Cam Guthrie donning Ablett's famous No.29 since 2011 and ruckman Zac Smith wearing the No.9 – the jumper Ablett wore as a Sun - it's unknown what number the two-time Brownlow medallist will wear in his second stint as a Cat. 

However, there is some suggestion he'll request No.11, which was recently vacated by new Blue Darcy Lang. 

Ablett wore No.11 when he was a junior playing for the Geelong Falcons. 

He would join new teammate Patrick Dangerfield in donning his under-18 number, with the ex-Crow adopting No.35 – his own Falcons number – when he arrived at the club in 2015.

This morning service was the best I've ever experienced... Them thinking I was @pitbull certainly helped

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