Sam Gilbert (Australian footballer) explained

Sam Gilbert
Fullname:Samuel Gilbert
Birth Date:19 August 1986
Birth Place:New South Wales, Australia
Originalteam:Southport (QAFL)
Currentclub:Northern Bullants
Guernsey:43
Draftpick:No. 33, 2005 National Draft,
Height:194 cm
Weight:90 kg
Position:Defender
Repstatsend:2010
Years1:2006–2018
Games Goals1:208 (38)
Statsend:2018
Nationalyears1:2010
Nationalteam1:Australia
Nationalgames Goals1:2
Careerhighlights:

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

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 1, 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 selecte 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. Gilbert was selected by the Saints with pick No.33 in the 2005 AFL Draft.

Career

AFL

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

The 2007 season brought further opportunities for Gilbert and he was included for the Round 5 match against, 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

On 21 November 2018, Gilbert joined (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 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, recording 12 disposals in a 12-point victory.[21] [22]

Personal life

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

Notes and References

  1. https://milestonesandmisses.com/2018/04/28/st-kilda-defender-sam-gilberts-journey-from-starting-australian-rules-football-in-his-mid-teens-to-reaching-200-afl-games/ ST KILDA DEFENDER SAM GILBERT’S JOURNEY FROM STARTING AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL IN HIS MID-TEENS TO REACHING 200 AFL GAMES
  2. http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/afl-news-display/league-boy-a-st-kilda-star-31839 League Boy a St Kilda Star
  3. http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/defender-sam-gilbert-helps-lead-st-kilda-charge-towards-afl-premiership/story-e6frepi6-1225778902124 Defender Sam Gilbert helps lead St Kilda charge towards AFL Premiership
  4. https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/teams/gold-coast/neil-mackay-and-a-gold-coast-high-school-is-helping-suns-in-quest-to-stock-its-list-with-locals/news-story/1698df57df8fbdecba9df12f658df664 Neil Mackay and a Gold Coast high school is helping Suns in quest to stock its list with locals
  5. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22125947-21543,00.html Winning Change for Gilbert
  6. News: Sam Gilbert, the code breaker . Sam . Edmund . 11 July 2009.
  7. Web site: St Kilda wins NAB cup. The Age. 8 March 2008. 2009-11-07.
  8. Web site: Saints are NAB Cup Champions in 2008. Jeld-Wen. 8 March 2008. 2009-11-07. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081120003712/http://www.jeld-wen.com.au/pr/St-Kilda-2008/20080308.php. 20 November 2008. dmy-all.
  9. http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=47857 AFL Rising Star Round 16
  10. Web site: 2009 Season Scores and Results - Ladder. AFL Tables. 2009. 2009-11-08.
  11. Web site: Navaratnam . Dinny . Saints cut veteran: No new deal for defender . AFL.com.au . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240803090918/https://www.afl.com.au/news/120499/saints-cut-veteran-no-new-deal-for-defender . 3 August 2024 . 5 September 2018.
  12. Web site: Meldrum . Ethan . Sam Gilbert Delisted By St Kilda . Triple M . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240803090929/https://www.triplem.com.au/story/sam-gilbert-delisted-by-st-kilda-108150 . 3 August 2024 . 5 September 2018.
  13. Web site: Sam Gilbert to call Trevor Barker Beach Oval home in 2019 . Sandringham Football Club . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230317225352/https://www.sandringhamfc.com.au/latest-news/sam-gilbert-to-call-trevor-barker-beach-oval-home-in-2019 . 17 March 2023 . 21 November 2018.
  14. Web site: Zebras Announce New Look Leadership Group . Sandringham Football Club . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230316152532/https://www.sandringhamfc.com.au/latest-news/zebras-announce-new-look-leadership-group . 16 March 2023 . 22 March 2019 . 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. Web site: Taylor . Darrian . VFL Rd 6 - Collingwood v Sandringham . Getty Images . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240803092854/https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/campbell-lane-of-collingwood-tackles-sam-gilbert-of-news-photo/1148549232 . 3 August 2024 . 12 May 2020.
  16. Web site: Ex-AFL star Gilbert handed drugs ban . The Senior . Australian Associated Press . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240803092259/https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/6718659/ex-afl-star-gilbert-handed-drugs-ban/ . 3 August 2024 . 9 April 2020.
  17. Web site: Sam Gilbert . GameDay . Sandringham . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240803093047/https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=192149819&client=0-118-10447-518179-25836199 . 3 August 2024.
  18. Web site: Ryan . Peter . Sam Gilbert cops two-year ban after doping violation at Sandringham . The Age . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220628011252/https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/sam-gilbert-cops-two-year-ban-after-doping-violation-at-sandringham-20200409-p54imf.html . 28 June 2022 . 9 April 2020.
  19. Web site: Former Saint Sam Gilbert cops two-year anti-doping ban for positive VFL test . Fox Sports . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221218194107/https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-sam-gilbert-antidoping-ban-positive-test-for-cocaine-vfl-game-in-2019-twoyear-suspension-former-st-kilda-defender/news-story/1e25fcfa542b7e25f1e2e16bcfbe6e1c . 18 December 2022 . 9 April 2020.
  20. Web site: Keating . Mitch . Former St Kilda defender to make shock VFL comeback . ZeroHanger . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240603064808/https://www.zerohanger.com/former-st-kilda-defender-to-make-shock-vfl-comeback-news-gilbert-151355/ . 3 June 2024 . 31 May 2024.
  21. Web site: Rhodes . Brendan . TEAMS: Smithy's VFL Round 10 . AFL.com.au . https://web.archive.org/web/20240531083349/https://www.afl.com.au/news/1141268/teams-smithys-vfl-round-10 . 31 May 2024.
  22. Web site: Northern Bullants v Carlton . AFL.com.au . 3 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240603065126/https://www.afl.com.au/vfl/matches/6408#player-stats . 3 June 2024 . 2 June 2024.

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