Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett has put contract negotiations with Geelong on hold until the end of the AFL season.

The Cats superstar is weighing up a multi-year offer from new AFL franchise Gold Coast which is believed to be worth $1.5 million per season.

Geelong are desperate to retain their best player, who is out of contract at the end of 2010.

But they will be unable to match the cash on offer from Gold Coast, who enter the league in 2011 and are pushing hard to lure some established stars to play alongside code-swapping Karmichael Hunt.

With the Cats focusing on winning a third flag in four years, the club were understandably keen for Ablett to sign a new deal as soon as possible.

But his manager Liam Pickering said on Monday night that no decision would be made until the end of the season.

"We're trying to take some heat of the whole situation, we're being continually asked (about it), so speaking to Gary speaking to Brian (Cook, the Geelong CEO) today, it's probably the best course of action)," Pickering told FoxSports.

"The time frame of him doing his contracts should be his own, not the one of everybody else, because everyone wants a decision.

"That's what we felt was the best thing to do for Gary and it gives him a chance to concentrate on playing.

"And it takes a bit of heat off the club as well ... so they can get on with the job of playing and winning football matches.

"I just think this way at least we can address it in the right forum and without having to do it at the behest of everybody else."

Gold Coast were also linked with rising Cats superstar Joel Selwood but he signed a new deal with Geelong earlier in May.

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