Sam Gilbert (Australian footballer)

Sam Gilbert
Gilbert in 2024
Personal information
Full name Samuel Gilbert
Date of birth (1986-08-19) 19 August 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth New South Wales, Australia
Original team(s) Southport (QAFL)
Draft No. 33, 2005 National Draft, St Kilda
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 90 kg (198 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current club Northern Bullants
Number 43
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2006–2018 St Kilda 208 (38)
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2010 Australia 2
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2018.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2010.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Samuel Gilbert (born 19 August 1986) is an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for the Northern Bullants in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He previously played professionally for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

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Gilbert playing for St Kilda in 2017

Gilbert was brought up in Terranora in northern New South Wales.[1] His first love as a child was rugby league. 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.[2] Sam played for the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 Rugby League on the New South Wales Northern Coast.[3]

At the age of 14, he moved the Gold Coast, Queensland. He attended Palm Beach Currumbin High School throughout his teenage years.[4] At the age of 15, he began playing Australian rules football at the Tweed Coolangatta Junior Football Club.[5] He made the switch after coming to the realisation that his body type - tall and skinny was not ideally suited to rugby league.[1] He immediately shone, being selected in the Gold Coast representative under-16 team. He played senior football with the Southport Sharks. He missed state selection at under 16 and 18 level being a late bloomer but was selected as captain of the Under 21 Queensland Scorpions Representative Side that defeated Western Australia attracting the eyes of talend scouts. His 2005 Rising Star award at Southport helped consolidate his prospect in the AFL Draft.[1] Gilbert was selected by the Saints with pick No.33 in the 2005 AFL Draft.[1]

Career

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AFL

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Gilbert was selected by St Kilda with pick No. 33 in the 2005 AFL Draft. He made his AFL debut in Round 8, 2006 against Carlton.[6]

The 2007 season brought further opportunities for Gilbert and he was included for the Round 5 match against Port Adelaide, after improved form in St Kilda's VFL affiliated team, the Casey Scorpions. Setting the pattern for his teammates, 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 played in St Kilda's 2008 NAB Cup winning side - the club's third pre-season cup win.[7][8]

After a statistically strong performance in Round 16, 2008, in which he had 16 kicks, 12 marks and 6 handballs, he was awarded the AFL Rising Star Nomination for that round.[9]

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 premiership.[10]

At the end of the 2018 season, Gilbert was delisted by St Kilda and retired from the AFL.[11][12]

Post-AFL

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Gilbert playing for the Northern Bullants in 2024

On 21 November 2018, Gilbert joined Sandringham (St Kilda's reserves affiliate) in the Victorian Football League (VFL) as a playing assistant coach.[13] He formed part of the club's leadership group for the 2019 VFL season, wearing the number 78.[14][15]

In May 2019, Gilbert tested positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine on the day of a game, in violation of anti-doping rules.[16] He continued to play at least one more game, against Coburg on 2 June 2019, before being provisionally suspended four days later on 6 June.[17] He formally accepted the suspension on 9 April 2020.[18][19]

On 31 May 2024, at the age of 37, Gilbert returned to the VFL and joined the Northern Bullants.[20] He made his debut for the Bullants in round 10 of the 2024 season against Carlton, recording 12 disposals in a 12-point victory.[21][22]

Personal life

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Gilbert is a cousin of former NBL basketball player Larry Davidson.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d ST KILDA DEFENDER SAM GILBERT’S JOURNEY FROM STARTING AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL IN HIS MID-TEENS TO REACHING 200 AFL GAMES 28 April 2018.
  2. ^ League Boy a St Kilda Star
  3. ^ Defender Sam Gilbert helps lead St Kilda charge towards AFL Premiership Andrew Hamilton for The Courier-Mail 24 September 2009
  4. ^ Neil Mackay and a Gold Coast high school is helping Suns in quest to stock its list with locals
  5. ^ Winning Change for Gilbert
  6. ^ Edmund, Sam (11 July 2009). "Sam Gilbert, the code breaker".
  7. ^ "St Kilda wins NAB cup". The Age. 8 March 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  8. ^ "Saints are NAB Cup Champions in 2008". Jeld-Wen. 8 March 2008. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  9. ^ AFL Rising Star Round 16 Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "2009 Season Scores and Results - Ladder". AFL Tables. 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  11. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (5 September 2018). "Saints cut veteran: No new deal for defender". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ^ Meldrum, Ethan (5 September 2018). "Sam Gilbert Delisted By St Kilda". Triple M. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Sam Gilbert to call Trevor Barker Beach Oval home in 2019". Sandringham Football Club. 21 November 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Zebras Announce New Look Leadership Group". Sandringham Football Club. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2024. Sam Gilbert also joins the leadership group for 2019, having concluded his 208 game AFL career with the Saints. Gilbert has joined the club not only as a player, but as the clubs Senior Assistant Coach, focussing on the backline.
  15. ^ Taylor, Darrian (12 May 2020). "VFL Rd 6 - Collingwood v Sandringham". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Ex-AFL star Gilbert handed drugs ban". The Senior. Australian Associated Press. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Sam Gilbert". GameDay. Sandringham. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  18. ^ Ryan, Peter (9 April 2020). "Sam Gilbert cops two-year ban after doping violation at Sandringham". The Age. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Former Saint Sam Gilbert cops two-year anti-doping ban for positive VFL test". Fox Sports. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  20. ^ Keating, Mitch (31 May 2024). "Former St Kilda defender to make shock VFL comeback". ZeroHanger. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  21. ^ Rhodes, Brendan. "TEAMS: Smithy's VFL Round 10". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Northern Bullants v Carlton". AFL.com.au. 2 June 2024. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
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