▁passion ▁for ▁the ▁game . ▁This ▁was ▁not ▁without ▁preced ent , ▁as ▁A ble tt ▁walked ▁away ▁from ▁his ▁T AC ▁Cup ▁team ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁was ▁eventually ▁convinced ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁top ▁level ▁competition . ▁ ▁Having ▁been ▁given ▁until ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁decision , ▁A ble tt ▁decided ▁on ▁ 7 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁walk ▁away ▁from ▁A FL ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁year , ▁but ▁didn ' t ▁rule ▁out ▁a ▁possible ▁return ▁at ▁some ▁stage . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁media ▁out lets ▁reported ▁Ge el ong ▁coach ▁Mark ▁Thompson ▁as ▁saying ▁" I ' ve ▁spoken ▁to ▁him ▁( N athan ▁A ble tt ) ▁a ▁few ▁times ▁and ▁it ' s ▁probably ▁a ▁bit ▁late ▁for ▁this ▁year , ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁play ▁A FL , ▁but ▁that ' s ▁not ▁the ▁real ▁point , ▁the ▁point ▁is ▁he ' s ▁missing ▁foot y ▁and ▁he ▁is ▁thinking ▁about ▁a ▁return ." ▁Nathan ▁re - com men ced ▁training ▁with ▁Ge el ong ▁on ▁ 9 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁play ▁in ▁Ge el ong ' s ▁V FL ▁side ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁season , ▁an ▁an k le ▁injury , ▁sust ained ▁from ▁playing ▁basketball , ▁s idel ined ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁year .