Sam Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Sam Gilbert is a professional Australian rules football
er for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
Gilbert had a rugby league
background, spending his junior days playing for the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 Rugby League
on the New South Wales
Northern Coast. His grandfather (Jack Gilbert) and great grandfather (Herb Gilbert
) played for St. George Dragons
in the New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership. Herb was also a dual-code rugby international who captained Australia at rugby league.
Gilbert moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland
at the age of 14, where he switched to Australian Rules at the Coolangatta-Tweed Blues, before moving to Southport, Queensland
. He attracted the eye of talent scouts after impressing at Southport Sharks and in the Queensland Scorpions Representative Side.
Gilbert is a cousin of Larry Davidson
, a basketball player in the NBL
.
. He made his debut for St Kilda
in Round 8, 2006 against Carlton
.
Gilbert played only one further match in 2006, failing to make a big impact.
His rugby background has led to his physical approach and strong tackling ability. He has also become a cult figure amongst Saints fans for his "goose-step", a rugby manoeuvre he has used successfully in the AFL.
affiliated team. Setting the pattern for his team mates, Gilbert laid seven tackles. He held his spot in the side and improved under coach Ross Lyon
, playing every game for the rest of the year.
Gilbert was drafted as a key defender, but his agility and speed has allowed him to play through the midfield and up forward.
winning side - the club's third pre-season cup win.
After a statistically strong performance in Round 16, in which Gilbert had 16 kicks, 12 marks and 6 handballs, he was awarded the AFL Rising Star Nomination for that round.
.
St Kilda qualified for 2009 AFL Grand Final
after qualifying and preiminary finals wins. Gilbert played in the grand final in which St Kilda were defeated by 12 points.
As of the end of the 2010 season, Gilbert had played in 10 AFL finals matches including three grand finals.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL).
Early life
Gilbert is a rugby league convert who didn’t start playing AFL until he was 16 years old. He began at Tweed Coolangatta JAFC before switching to Southport to play in the AFLQ State League.Gilbert had a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
background, spending his junior days playing for the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 Rugby League
Group 18 Rugby League
Group 18 is the name of a rugby league competition on the far north coast of New South Wales, Australia. Currently, the group has no senior competition. Prior to 2005, there was a joint Gold Coast-Group 18 competition which fielded teams from both the Queensland and New South Wales sides of the...
on the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Northern Coast. His grandfather (Jack Gilbert) and great grandfather (Herb Gilbert
Herb Gilbert
Herbert R. Gilbert was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in 3 Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in 7 Tests from 1911 to 1920, his last two as Captain. The captain-coach of the St...
) played for St. George Dragons
St. George Dragons
The St George Dragons was an Australian Rugby league football club in St George, Sydney, New South Wales that played in Australia's top-level Rugby league competition from New South Wales Rugby Football League in 1921 until 1998; in 1999 they formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers,...
in the New South Wales Rugby Football League Premiership. Herb was also a dual-code rugby international who captained Australia at rugby league.
Gilbert moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
at the age of 14, where he switched to Australian Rules at the Coolangatta-Tweed Blues, before moving to Southport, Queensland
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
. He attracted the eye of talent scouts after impressing at Southport Sharks and in the Queensland Scorpions Representative Side.
Gilbert is a cousin of Larry Davidson
Larry Davidson
Larry Davidson is an Australian basketballer. He plays in the National Basketball League with the Wollongong Hawks as a power forward or center....
, a basketball player in the NBL
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
.
2006 season
Gilbert was selected by the Saints with pick No.33 in the 2005 AFL Draft2005 AFL Draft
The 2005 AFL Draft was the 2005 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.The 2005 Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period...
. He made his debut for St Kilda
St. Kilda Football Club
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
in Round 8, 2006 against Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
.
Gilbert played only one further match in 2006, failing to make a big impact.
His rugby background has led to his physical approach and strong tackling ability. He has also become a cult figure amongst Saints fans for his "goose-step", a rugby manoeuvre he has used successfully in the AFL.
2007 season
The 2007 season brought further opportunities for Gilbert and he was included for the Round 5 match against Port Adelaide Power, after improved form in St Kilda's VFLVictorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
affiliated team. Setting the pattern for his team mates, Gilbert laid seven tackles. He held his spot in the side and improved under coach Ross Lyon
Ross Lyon
Ross Lyon is a former Australian rules football player for Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears. He is the current senior coach of the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Playing career:...
, playing every game for the rest of the year.
Gilbert was drafted as a key defender, but his agility and speed has allowed him to play through the midfield and up forward.
2008 season
Gilbert played in St Kilda’s 2008 NAB Cup2008 NAB Cup
The 2008 NAB Cup was the Australian Football League pre-season competition played in its entirety before the Australian Football League's 2008 Premiership season began...
winning side - the club's third pre-season cup win.
After a statistically strong performance in Round 16, in which Gilbert had 16 kicks, 12 marks and 6 handballs, he was awarded the AFL Rising Star Nomination for that round.
2009 season
Gilbert played in 19 of 22 matches in the 2009 home and away rounds. St Kilda qualified in first position for the 2009 finals series, winning the club’s third minor premiership2009 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:...
.
St Kilda qualified for 2009 AFL Grand Final
2009 AFL Grand Final
The 2009 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the St Kilda Football Club and the Geelong Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 26 September 2009...
after qualifying and preiminary finals wins. Gilbert played in the grand final in which St Kilda were defeated by 12 points.
2010 season
Gilbert played in 26 games in 2010, including four finals matches, and finished 3rd in St Kilda's Best & Fairest Award (Trevor Barker Medal).As of the end of the 2010 season, Gilbert had played in 10 AFL finals matches including three grand finals.