I would take anything Damian Barrett says with a bag of salt.
Ablett's injury was reported on 13 February as being a "mild foot strain" (source: Dinny Navaratman, afl.com.au)
By 7 March the club had clarified that it related to an inflammation of the tendon running across the sesamoid bone at the base of his big toe (source: Ben Waterworth, Fox Sports).
Also on 7 March, Robbo reported in the Hun that "Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett will not play a game before Round 1, but the Suns insist his ankle injury is not a concern."
Wait, what? What ankle injury?
"They also confirmed the minor sprain in his ankle a month ago had become a tendon injury."
Um no, they clarified the
foot injury a month ago was an inflammation to the tendon in his foot. Nobody mentioned anything about an ankle injury.
"Gold Coast head of football Marcus Ashcroft told the Herald Sun on Monday night: 'With Gaz, it’s a tendon in the foot, a ligament.'
No mention of an ankle there.
“'He sprained it a few weeks back and it was minor, but because Gaz has done so much training during the pre-season and done a lot of match simulations stuff, it’s a no-risk with him.'"
Or there.
“'He won’t play this week, he’s not 100 per cent, but we know with another three weeks to go, he’ll be fine.'”
No mention of an ankle there either.
Three days later Andrew Hamilton wrote an article in the Courier-Mail in which he said:
"Ablett had just about completed his most thorough pre-season in his time at the Suns when he experienced pain in his foot the week before the NAB series started.
"Scans showed a hot spot and his workload was drastically reduced but he started running session this week."
So no mention of an ankle there either. Just the foot, the same as was initially reported on 13 February.
Either Robbo has an exclusive deal with the Suns where they give him alone the bona fide info about their players' injuries and feed every other organisation bull****, or he's a hack who couldn't be bothered to do his research and struggles with the anatomical differences between an ankle and a foot.
You decide.