NEWS that Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett had asked for a trade back to Geelong surprised ex-teammate Jimmy Bartel. 

The former Cats star, who retired at the end of the season after 305 games, said he always believed his former premiership teammate would put down roots on the Gold Coast. 

Bartel told RSN Radio he suspected Ablett had become concerned that the chances of the Suns playing finals before he retired had lengthened, after the departure of young talent such as Dion Prestia and Jaeger O'Meara, and Geelong was the logical destination.

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However, Bartel wondered whether the Cats could ever fit Ablett into their salary cap.

"If you couldn't get [Brett] Deledio with salary [restrictions], you're not getting Gazza over the line," Bartel said.

"There has to be something else that he would want to come back for, [so] he would be happy to play for $300-400,000 [a season]."

Bartel, who played alongside Ablett in the 2007 and 2009 premierships after playing junior football with him for the Geelong Falcons said he would have loved to played with the 32-year-old, who has been restricted to just 20 games in the past two seasons due to injury.

"I would have a little bit upset in a way. I wouldn't have had the chance to play with him again," Bartel said.

Although most imagine Ablett would be a perfect forward in the latter half of his career, Bartel said the ex-Cat would have wanted to play in the midfield along Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood. 

"He is very competitive too and if he got back he would probably want to start in the midfield," Bartel said. 

Ablett has two years remaining on his contract after signing a contract extension with the Suns in 2015 that tied him to the club until 2018.