ON THE verge of his long-awaited return from shoulder surgery, Gary Ablett will give fans a unique insight into his remarkable career on Thursday night.

At half-time of the season opener between Carlton and Richmond, Channel 7 will unveil an advertisement showcasing Ablett's rise from junior football to AFL superstar through his own eyes.

The clip, produced by Virgin Australia in conjunction with AFL Media, features 23 cameo appearances from past and present players and sports personalities, including Kevin Sheedy, Jobe Watson, Adam Cooney, Steve Johnson, Cameron Mooney, Bruce McAvaney, Sandy Roberts and Ablett himself.

The Gold Coast skipper said the project was fun to work on and he was pleased with the final product.

"I'm really proud of how it's come up and I hope the fans enjoy it," Ablett said.

Virgin Australia’s general manager of strategy and marketing Michael Scott said: "To celebrate the launch of the 2015 AFL season we worked with Gary and AFL Media to develop a video that gives footy fans a chance to see how he became one of the game’s greatest ever players, through Gary’s own eyes."