Was it the greatest centreline that never was?

It was March 31, 1984, at Kardinia Park in Geelong and Fitzroy had made the trip down the highway to take on the Cats in front of 22,260 fans in the opening round of the season.

New Geelong captain Mick Turner would take his spot on the wing while a debutant by the name of Greg Williams, yes that Greg Williams, lined up in the middle, and on the other wing stood another player making his debut in the Hoops, Gary Ablett.

“We lined up on the wing,” Turner told Legends of Kardinia Park, a new member exclusive series for geelongcats.com.au set to be released on Thursday.

“Historically the greatest centreline of all time was Richmond's: Francis Bourke, Billy Barrett and Dick Clay and Richmond had a lot of success in those days but for a very short period for about five or six games, it was Turner, Williams and Ablett.”

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Legends Of Kardinia Park | Episode 1 Mick Turner

In the first episode of our Legends of Kardinia Park series we speak with Team of the Century wingman and former Geelong captain Mick Turner who played 245 games and kicked 285 goals between 1974 and 1988. Presented by McCafe

The youthful trio did not disappoint in that first fixture, finishing with 88 disposals and four goals between them in a 49-point win to the Cats. 

Williams finished with 38 disposals, including 17 handballs, while Turner had 28 touches and Ablett finished with 22 and three goals. 

But eventually, after just 34 games and a Carji Greeves Medal at Kardinia Park, Williams would move on and collect a pair of Brownlow Medals at Sydney and then Carlton, while Ablett would become, well, Gary Ablett, fortunately still at Geelong. 

But just like that, after just four games together, the legend of Turner, Williams and Ablett fizzled out. 

Turner said Williams was the most creative player he’d ever seen – “some players go out and play well but he'd go out and make 18 players play well because of his handball”, but Ablett was something else. 

Sometime in late 1983, Turner spoke with legendary Geelong recruiter and premiership ruckman Bill McMaster about Ablett, who’d been lured to the Cattery after six games with Hawthorn in 1982.

McMaster had high hopes for the Drouin product, but Turner was sceptical.  

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“He came to the club, and I still remember talking to Bill about him, and he'd said, 'this is the best recruit we've ever had at the club', and I said, 'yeah, yeah, I've heard all that before'.

Turner soon discovered what the fuss was all about. 

“In those days we used to do kick to kick a bit, two on two marking, and you'd have two groups of two and we'd kick it backwards and forwards,” he recalled. 

“Look, I rated myself and I could mark with anyone except a tall ruckman or key position player because I had good spring. 

“We kicked it back and forwards 20 times and I reckon I touched it once and the only time was when he dropped the ball and it actually went to the ground, and that's not a lie. 

“And I remember walking to Bill after that and said, 'look mate, you were right I've never seen anything like this before.’”

The first episode featuring of Legends of Kardinia Park, hosted by Cameron Ling and featuring Mick Turner will be released Thursday and can be found here, in the new Member Exclusive portal.