GARY Ablett is close to signing a deal that will tie him to the Gold Coast Suns for the rest of his career.

And, in a double boost to the Suns, their skipper could be back in action as early as the pre-season NAB Challenge that starts early in March.

It is believed that Ablett and his manager Liam Pickering have agreed to terms of a three-year contract extension that will expire at the end of the 2018 AFL season by when the dual Brownlow medallist will be 34 years old.

media_camera Gary Ablett. Photo by Richard Gosling

It is also believed that the Suns originally offered Ablett a two-year extension but have agreed to an extra year in a deal that will ensure the midfielder remains among the highest paid players in the national code of football.

Late last week Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft said a new deal for Ablett was imminent but would not say when it would be announced.

“We’re close to finalising things,” Ashcroft said, declining to comment on the length of the deal offered to Ablett and if this is what had been holding things up.

It was early in the 2013 season that Ablett said he was keen to play out his career on the Gold Coast.

Coach Rodney Eade expects Ablett to be a part of the Suns’ NAB Challenge side.

Ablett has been training the house down at Metricon Stadium in running and kicking drills, although is yet to have his reconstructed left shoulder given a serious test.

“He has the all-clear that his operation was good and he’s not far away from full range (of shoulder movement),” Eade said.

“He’s still doing a lot of strength work but I expect he’ll be having some mild contact work over the next few weeks and doing full contact early to mid-February.”

The Suns are playing NAB Challenge matches against Geelong (in Townsville on March 1), GWS Giants (in Sydney the following weekend), then the Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium, March 20.

“Gary has done all the fitness work and a lot of footy work so I imagine he’ll be playing a part in the NAB Challenge at some stage,” Eade told the Bulletin.