- GEELONG is refusing to pay appearance money to secure its greatest player, Gary Ablett Sr, for the club's 150th anniversary.
It is believed Ablett wants $10,000 to attend.
Cats chief executive Brian Cook is standing firm.
"No, we won't be paying an appearance fee," he said.
Mr Cook wouldn't discuss individuals, but he did say: "There's still a number (of former players) providing a challenge for us on this one."
Ablett is one of several captains to decline invitations to the waterfront function in Geelong for 1700 people on August 8.
The others are Graham "Polly" Farmer, Brian Peake, Michael Turner and Garry Hocking.
Sam Newman, also a Geelong captain, has accepted the task of trying to broker peace with Turner and Hocking, whose issues with the club don't include appearance money.
Related Links
Bill Brownless has also been involved in trying to change their minds.
Newman is believed to have received promises from Turner and Hocking to reconsider their decision to boycott the function.
Brownlow Medallist Alistair Lord, a controversial omission from the club's team of the century, is also yet to accept.
The club already has bookings from 1100 fans, including 150 former players.
"We're not giving up on Gary and the others," Mr Cook said.
He said strained relations between the club and so many of its former greats remained a problem for the Cats.
"One of the unique challenges I have found at Geelong is integrating the past with the present," he said. "It's been a huge task, and it's a task we haven't beaten yet."
Newman said former players had a duty to attend.
"This is not for the club, this is for the people who support it. The two of them (Turner and Hocking) are in the team of the century.
"They were very great players for the club and it would be good for them to be there."
The Footy Show star said he had taken it upon himself to try to heal the rifts.
"I thought I would see if we could achieve a level of detente," Newman said.
"It's for the fans really; it's about the people."
Newman also urged Ablett to attend the celebration "for the sake of the fans".
"They love him more than any other, bar one - the man who wore the No. 5 before him (Polly Farmer)."
Asked why Farmer declined, Newman said: "I think his health would be the reason he mightn't come."
Newman said the anniversary would be devalued without the former greats.
"If you're going to celebrate your 150th anniversary in a giant marquee, you've got to have your marquee players there," he said.
"If people like them don't go to that function, I think they have got their priorities out of order."
