The Gold Coast Suns' decision to rule Gary Ablett out for the remainder of the season appears to have been a sound one, according to coach Guy McKenna, after the captain had surgery on his injured left shoulder on Thursday.

McKenna, in Cairns for the Suns' game against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, said he had received an email from the club doctor, which revealed Ablett's shoulder was "certainly a bit more banged up than what the MRI [scan] showed, so in hindsight it was obviously the right decision to go with".

Surgery was the right call for Gary Ablett, says Guy McKenna. Credit:Getty Images

Ablett has also nursed a sore thumb for weeks that may also require surgery, but McKenna said "other than that, all the staples and stitches are in place and he'll start his recovery", adding that the captain would now take on an off-field role for the rest of the season.

"I think he's only missed five games in his time up here, so it'll be a new adventure for him as well, and something he's looking forward to getting his teeth into."