While Ablett's inclusion, after years of debate over whether or not he should be inducted given his controversial off-field life, has divided public opinion in the lead-up to Monday night's Hall of Fame dinner - it could easily be forgotten that Jock McHale will be upgraded to Legend status this year while there are also another seven newcomers to the Hall of Fame.
Six of these are former players including four of the best defenders of the modern era - Stephen Silvagni, Paul Roos, Kelvin Moore and Ian Nankervis - as well as a dual Brownlow Medallist in Peter Moore and Melbourne's champion goalkicking rover of the 1950s Stuart Spencer.
South Australia's veteran football administrator Max Basheer rounds out the 2005 inductees.
But it is McHale's elevation to Legend status that is the greatest honor being handed out in 2005 and it comes after the AFL's popular decision to change the rules regarding the eligibility of legend status.
Previously only former players could be elevated to such status but that is now no longer the case and it is fitting that the game's greatest ever coach should be the first inductee to be awarded the game's greatest honour for his coaching prowess.
Not that McHale, an inaugural Hall of Fame inductee in 1996 as a coach, was not a fair player himself after running out for his beloved Collingwood on 261 occasions from 1903-20.
But it is his incredible coaching record for which his name lives on and it was obvious he was always going to be the first non-player to receive Legend status once the AFL decided to further open up the eligibility clause to also include former coaches.
McHale coached Collingwood for a league record 714 games over 38 seasons from 1912-49 and single-handedly created the Magpies into the club they are today - arguably the game's best supported, most powerful and most hated club.
The man whose named will be forever synonymous with arguably Australia's biggest sporting club coached the Magpies to eight premierships - a record which is unlikely to be ever beaten considering the game's two greatest coaches of today - Essendon's Kevin Sheedy and Brisbane's Leigh Matthews have only won four flags as coaches.
McHale is also the only man to coach a team to four successive premierships from 1927-30 and is forgotten that his first flag as coach in 1917 was achieved as player/coach while he also played in the Pies' 1910 premiership.
Recognised by anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Australian Rules as the game's greatest coach it is The Jock McHale Medal that is now given to the premiership coach each year on grand final day.
Of the eight Hall of Fame inductees for 2005 it is the name Gary Ablett which stands out and not just because he was arguably the greatest player of the past 20 years, if not ever.
The Geelong superstar, who was often referred to simply as 'God' by adoring Cats' fans, is one of only five players to kick 1000 career goals and some of his incredible marks and freakish goals remain some of the most replayed moments in football history.
Ablett, whose career was almost over before it began when he left Hawthorn to return to his beloved country Victoria after only six games in 1982, played 242 games and was an All-Australian on seven occasions as well as a three-time Coleman Medallist.
But it was his efforts in the 1989 grand final when he kicked a record nine goals and he almost single-handedly helped the Cats to an upset victory over Hawthorn that remains his most defining on-field moment.
Unfortunately for Ablett that was as close as he would ever get to a premiership medallion and he would also play in the Cats' losing grand final sides of 1992, '94 and '95.
However his legendary on-field performances have often been overshadowed by his off-field problems and he was overlooked for Hall of Fame selection, since first becoming eligible in 2001, after he was involved in the drugs related death of 20-year-old Alisha Horan in February, 2000.
But Geelong chief executive Brian Cook believes Ablett is deserving of his place in the Hall of Fame.
"Gary Ablett was one of the greatest players in the game’s long history and the club has always believed that his outstanding play was worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame," Cook said.
"That is what we like to remember when we think of Gary.
"His ability to bring people through the gates was and remains a rare ability and his on-field exploits will continue to be replayed on highlight tapes for many years to come."
But Ablett is not the only former great player of the modern era who will be inducted on Monday night and one of game's best full-forwards will be joined in the Hall of Fame by some of the game's best defenders.
One of those is his old on-field rival Silvagni, the man who was named as full-back in the AFL's Team of the Century in 1996.
Silvagni kept Ablett goalless in the Blues' 1995 grand final win and was the game's greatest full-back in arguably the best era for forwards when he also regularly took on and beat the likes of Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall, Wayne Carey and Matthew Lloyd before ending his 312-game career in 2001.
Like Silvagni, Kelvin Moore was one of the best full-backs of his era and played in three Hawthorn premierships during his 300-game career from 1970-84.
It was during this period that his namesake Peter Moore became only the second player to win Brownlow Medals with two different clubs - Collingwood in 1979 and Melbourne in 1984.
Moore played a total of 249 matches and was desperately unlucky not to play in a premiership side considering he played in the Magpies' losing grand final teams of 1977, '79, '80 and '81.
Two other long-serving defenders also join the Hall of Fame this year and both were the heart and soul of their clubs during their playing career.
Paul Roos might now be best known as coach of Sydney but he virtually carried Fitzroy in the late 1980s and early 1990s - playing 269 games for the Lions before ending his career with another 87 games for the Swans from 1995-98 during which time he played in his only grand final in 1996.
But it is for his deeds at Fitzroy for which Roos is best remembered as a player as he won the Lions' best and fairest on five occasions, was captain for six years, leading goalkicker once and was a five-time All-Australian after also captaining Victoria.
While Roos is still revered by fans of the old Fitzroy, so too is Ian Nankervis by Geelong fans.
The Cats' games record holder played 325 games from 1967-83 and was captain for four years and a three-time best and fairest winner.
While many of this year's inductees ended their careers without a premiership medallion - Stuart Spencer left Melbourne while still at the peak of his career after playing in back-to-back premierships in 1955-56.
Spencer was also the Demons' best-and-fairest in those years and after a successful playing stint in Tasmania, where he won four best-and-fairests with Clarence, he returned to Melbourne years later as president during which time he led the club into their first grand final in 24 years in 1988.
The final inductee in Max Basheer is arguably South Australia's greatest football administrator after serving as vice president and then president of the SANFL from 1967-2003 during which time he oversaw the building of Football Park and the introduction of South Australia's two AFL teams Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
