Ablett finally decided to confirm what many had already observed throughout the 2010 season - that the Cats' best player and coach were at each other's throats.
A huge row within the first six weeks of the season meant Ablett only spoke to the Cats' line coaches for the rest of the year, while Thompson had repeated digs at Ablett's refusal to re-sign.
After Ablett chose to play for the Suns, Thompson then left himself citing burnout - only to emerge weeks later in Essendon colours.
And another dig at Ablett in his first press conference back at Windy Hill appears to have been the last straw for Ablett, who firmly stated his case that his contract was none of Thompson's business.
With the feud out in the open, Hird said he did not think it would impact Thompson too much.
"I'll doubt he's even read it, or he will read it, or he'll care too much," Hird said on SEN radio on Friday morning.
"He and Gary had a fantastic time together, and won two premierships together. I would think, as he said, 'I've moved on. I'm no longer the coach at the Geelong Football Club, and I'm now at Essendon and concentrating on Essendon getting right'."
But Ablett's words are bound to resonate into the 2011 season - particularly until Round 6 when the Suns take on the Bombers.
"I didn't really want to talk about it, but he keeps mentioning my situation, so I want to set the record straight," Ablett told News Limited.
"I just felt that he's the coach, I'm the player. Contracts shouldn't be his role. But we had a pretty big argument there in his office, he walked out, I walked out, and he hasn't really spoken to me since, to be honest.
"I find it a bit hypocritical that he can say I've done the wrong thing by [Geelong]. I made a decision at the end of my contract for my own reasons; he made a decision with a year left on his contract for his own reasons, but he's still potting me instead of brushing it off."
"It's hard when your senior coach is not talking to you about game plans and that sort of thing, but I dealt with the three other coaches - the midfield, forward and defensive coaches," he said.
"Rather than just trying to be a coach, he was a very controlling person, trying to run the medical department, the contract negotiations, and if it wasn't his way, it was nobody's way."