When your only pitfall is to be described as being "too nice," you know you're doing something right.

For years coaches attempted to turn a "humble gentleman" into an aggressive ruckman, capable of mixing it with the best local big men around Geelong.

The gentleman remained, but the competitiveness grew as Ryan Abbott's football journey took him from skinny basketballer to a place on Geelong's senior list in four years.

On Friday night the 27-year-old 100kg former electrical apprentice will play his fourth AFL game in an elimination final at the MCG on Friday night against Melbourne … and Max Gawn.

"He's too nice, that's the only problem I've got with him," Abbott's former Grovedale coach Grant Tanner told AFL.com.au. 

"Once he develops that little bit of game day anger, then I reckon he'd really go to the next level.

"You couldn't ask for a nicer bloke, a true gentleman. He listens and learns, that's the most important thing for a young guy trying to make it. I haven't got a bad thing to say about him.

"He's a model citizen, he wasn't a big party boy, never drank too much and made many mistakes. Very much Mr Squeaky."

Tanner first met the 200cm beanpole in his second pre-season at the helm at Burdoo Reserve in 2012.

Convinced to re-join the club where he had played until under-16s, a 20-year-old Abbott wandered down to have a kick with his former Grovedale College schoolmates.

In the five years in between, Abbott had spent time playing for local basketball club Try Boys – the same outfit responsible for many of Adelaide's Tom Doedee's defensive traits.

Starting in the division two side, Abbott's ability to cover the court quickly saw him rushed into the division one men's side, playing against a number of Geelong Supercats SEABL players.

A broken arm in his first season back in senior football delayed his progress, but Tanner was convinced he had a future.

"We tried to build a physical side, in the second year I threw him into the gym for 12 months to be able to compete with the big rucks," Tanner, who played 69 games for the Cats, said.

"He was really skinny, anyone could push him around, he didn't really need to be training, just in the gym doing boxing and weights.

"He was probably a little bit gun-shy early, then he started to believe he could do it."

And believe he did. 

Abbott's tap work and agility had a big say in Grovedale booking its first ever Geelong Football League Grand Final berth in 2013.

Described by then-assistant coach Brendan Forssman as one of the most "durable" players in the competition, Abbott caused a headache for more experienced ruckmen in the League.

"You could tell very early on that he was super competitive and very determined," Grovedale captain Nathan Deans said.

"He had a smooth kicking style and the uniqueness of how athletic he was for such a big man. He just needed to put on some size.

"I found his greatest ability was the work he did when the ball hit the ground. For us he was like a fourth midfielder, the ability to step players and follow up his own footy."

The Tigers lost the 2013 decider but Abbott's rise continued, putting on more size in 2014 before he won the club's best and fairest in 2015.

He was also rewarded for his form with a berth in the 2015 GFL Interleague side and a place on Geelong's VFL top-up list later that summer.

Set to represent the GFL again in 2016, Abbott was pulled out, called upon to play one of four VFL games for the season.

If not for Geelong's abundance of talls – Zac Smith, Rhys Stanley, Mark Blicavs, Padraig Lucey, Nathan Vardy, Mitch Clark, Wylie Buzza – Abbott may have played more.

But Stephen Wells and his Geelong list management didn't mind.

In a secret testing session during the season, akin to work they would do with a Category B rookie, the Cats had seen enough and selected Abbott with pick 69 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft.

While Greater Western Sydney's Academy has caused much debate, Geelong's own 'academy' in its own backyard has yielded many including Abbott, plus All Australian Tom Stewart.

Abbott's work colleagues at L&O Technologies were more than happy for him to put his apprenticeship on hold with a two-year contract at the Cats.

His first season was hit with frustration, suffering a leg fracture in pre-season and later a stress reaction in his back before finishing the year with 16 VFL games including bouts with Jordan Roughead and Tom Hickey.

Now studying a diploma of commerce, Abbott's studies have increased after recent assignments on Fremantle's Sean Darcy and Gold Coast's Jarrod Witts.

In the absence of injured No.1 Rhys Stanley, Abbott faces his biggest challenge of his career against the best ruckman in the country.

"It's refreshing he's not a massive footy head. He's learnt to be a student of the game and I know he studies a lot of tapes," his agent John Meesen of i50 Management said.

"He's finally got the belief that he can play and compete at the level. That desire has really grown this year."

Abbott, who lives with his partner in Geelong, is still seen around his local club for functions or the odd match when his schedule permits.

Described as "someone who would be hating the attention this week," Abbott might need to get used to it if he can feed Gary Ablett, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood like he did his Grovedale teammates for many years. 


GEELONG'S LOCAL CONNECTIONS ON FRIDAY NIGHT
- Ryan Abbott – Geelong VFL/Grovedale FC
- Gary Ablett – Gold Coast via Geelong Falcons via Modewarre FC
- Jed Bews – Geelong Falcons via Leopold FC
- Patrick Dangerfield – Adelaide via Geelong Falcons via Anglesea FC
- Lachie Henderson – Brisbane/Carlton via Geelong Falcons via Birregurra FC 
- Jack Henry – Geelong Falcons via St Mary's FC
- Tom Stewart – Geelong VFL via South Barwon FC