Sam Gilbert Biography

Sam Gilbert accepts a two-year suspension for an anti-doping violation after testing positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine on match day in May of 2019 when he was playing with VFL club Sandringham.

"Mr Gilbert is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 6 June 2021," a statement from the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority read.

"He is also not permitted to compete in a non-signatory professional league, or event organised by a non-signatory International or National level event organisation."

Sam Gilbert is delisted by St Kilda after being told he would not be offered a contract for 2019.

Gilbert finishes with 208 games in his career after being drafted at No.33 in 2005.

"I want to thank the club for the opportunity to play at the highest level, and for helping shape the person I am today," Gilbert said.

"I have been privileged to be part of the club for the past 13 years, and I've loved every minute of it."

Sam Gilbert signs a one-year deal with the Saints to play on for a 13th season in 2018.

"We're disappointed not to be in a better position heading into the final round of the season, but the development of individuals this season will hold us in good stead for next year," he said.

"I've enjoyed my role this season, playing up around the ball in the ruck, and also being part of a pretty stable defensive group."

Sam Gilbert will miss up to four weeks after surgery on his right hand.

Gilbert, 30, had his hand stomped on in the final term of the Saints' 61-point loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

Aaron Sandilands will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious hamstring injury in his comeback game against St Kilda.

Sandilands grabbed his right hamstring after tackling Saints defender Sam Gilbert in the first quarter of the nine-point loss, and immediately hobbled from Domain Stadium.

Jarryn Geary will be the St Kilda's new captain for 2017.

Geary takes over the role from Nick Riewoldt, who was skipper for 220 games. That tally ranks Riewoldt third on the all-time list for most VFL/AFL games captained, behind Carlton's Stephen Kernahan (226) and Essendon's Dick Reynolds (224).

Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna, Sean Dempster and Sam Gilbert took themselves out of contention for the leadership group, and thus the captaincy. Those players, known as the 'four elders', make up the Saints' over-30 contingent.

"Before that vote, Montagna, Riewoldt, Gilbert and Dempster got up and said 'Don't vote for us, we're out. Time for you blokes to drive it. We think you're ready'," Saints coach Alan Richardson said.

Midfielder Seb Ross, Dylan Roberton and Josh Bruce are St Kilda's newest official leaders. They join Geary, Jack Steven, David Armitage, Jack Newnes and Maverick Weller.

"If we had six players who got lots of votes and then there was a gap, we'd have six (in the leadership group). As it turned out, we had eight, because those guys were voted in really strongly," Richardson said.

Jason Ball (Australian Football's first openly gay male player) has called Sam Gilbert a gay icon.

Ball explained how highly Gilbert is thought of by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning (LGBTIQ) community.

"He's become a gay icon in a way," Ball said of the veteran Saints defender.

"Cartoonists and artists have drawn and painted him. The community is just so appreciative of him standing up and being a voice for us, and for pushing for change."

The two have become close friends, with Gilbert having taken up Ball’s invitation two years ago to join him at speaking engagements.

The pair has addressed sporting, community and special interest groups including an Australian Marriage Equality fundraiser about inclusion and the importance of breaking barriers and encouraging diversity.

"I thought it was more powerful for him to have his voice in the conversation as a straight ally to the community," Ball said.

After overcoming two injury-wrecked seasons, St Kilda utility Sam Gilbert has put free agency on the backburner to sign a two-year contract extension.

"I’m relishing playing the roles the coaching staff gives me and after a bit of time on the sidelines, I’m enjoying my football as much as I ever have," Gilbert said.

"I’m looking forward to continuing to be involved for at least the next two years and seeing what this team can achieve.

"Obviously there has been a lot of improvement right across the board at the club in 2015 and I am very excited about what is ahead of us."

The Saints are keen to retain versatile defender Sam Gilbert beyond the final year of his contract, backing the free agent to rediscover his best football in 2015.

"Potentially the competition's forgotten about what a really influential player he is," St Kilda director of coaching Danny Sexton.

"Everyone within the club knows that and I think people in the industry know he's a good player, but he's just been so unfortunate with injuries over the past two or three years.

"We're really looking forward to Sam coming back and helping our defence. He's a terrific leader around the club."

St Kilda is hopeful Sam Gilbert will be running by Christmas after the luckless defender underwent another bout of surgery on his troublesome left foot.

Sam Gilbert could have more surgery on his left foot after suffering an injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday's match against Richmond.

The 28-year-old cut a dejected figure on the interchange bench after hurting the foot again and was consoled by coach Alan Richardson from the coaches' box.

He was playing in just his third AFL game after returning from the injury, which had robbed him of much of the season.

St Kilda said further action around the injury would be determined after Gilbert met with a surgeon.

Sam Gilbert believes he can get back to senior football this year after being cut down by the repeat of a pre-season foot injury in April.

Gilbert spent nearly three months in a moon boot after the second flare up of the stress fracture on his fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.

However, he's broken through to start running again and believes he'll play in the VFL in five weeks' time, which could pave the way for a senior return around round 20.

"It's definitely my goal. I want to get back out there and play this year," Gilbert said.

"It's a really good stage for me now because I'm running again.

"The first couple of weeks were probably where you're most down and disappointed because it seems like such a long journey.

"For me now, I'm kind of coming to the downhill slope of it so I'm just looking forward to getting back out there and having a kick."

Sam Gilbert could remain sidelined for another 10 weeks after fresh scans showed a stress fracture in his left foot had not recovered.

Gilbert had surgery for the stress fracture in early February, with a screw inserted into his metatarsal bone, and his rehabilitation allowed him to play in round one.

He reinjured the same foot against West Coast in round three, however, and the initial four-week timeframe for his return has now blown out.

"Obviously we are disappointed that Sam's foot injury hasn't repaired to the extent we had anticipated," St Kilda head of football Chris Pelchen said.

"We will reassess his recovery in coming weeks before being able to determine a more exact date for his return."

Sam Gilbert has escaped surgery but will still miss four to six weeks after aggravating his foot injury against West Coast.

"While we were disappointed to have Sam aggravate his foot injury on the weekend, we are pleased that no new structural damage has been caused and look forward to his return soon," St Kilda's head of football Chris Pelchen said.

Sam Gilbert is likely to miss the first part of the home and away season after being sidelined by a stress fracture in his left foot.

The 27-year-old recently had surgery on his metatarsal bone and had a screw inserted after being injured during a training drill.

"It's disappointing for Sam, particularly because he has had a solid pre-season to date," St Kilda's head of football Chris Pelchen said.

"But he is anticipated to recommence training in approximately six weeks, with his availability for round one of the AFL season still to be determined."

Surgery has revealed that Sam Gilbert does not require a knee reconstruction but he will still miss eight to 12 weeks after having his lateral ligament repaired.

Lenny Hayes has agreed to a new one-year deal with the Saints while three other big names have also committed to the club including Leigh Montagna, Stephen Milne and Sam Gilbert.

"Without strong leadership this group wont progress," Saints coach Scott Watters said.

"Lenny, Stephen, Sammy and Joey are loyal one-club players who we value extremely highly. Their leadership is integral moving forward."

St Kilda defender Sam Gilbert admits that he hasn't been playing at his best so far in 2012.

"A bit inconsistent; I think I found it a little bit hard to get a bit of touch," Gilbert said of his form this year.

"It's hard to explain with form because sometimes you think it is confidence. Personally, I think it's preparation, it's touch. It's not getting to the game and being unsure of what you need to do. I think the more prepared I am, the more confident I am."

St Kilda's Sam Gilbert says off-field dramas in the pre-season have played no impact on his form this season.

"I don't think so. I think it was something that has happened. Personally it has happened and I can't put my finger on one thing, I've been trying my best to get my consistency back and it is coming back slowly but surely," he said.

"Once you get out there, it doesn't affect you. Once I'm out there training and playing, everything goes away from my mind and I'm focussing just on the football."

Sam Gilbert speaks to the Herald Sun about his involvement in the leaking of controversial nude photos of his teammates earlier in the year.

"I was just at home in St Kilda when I got the phone call. He (manager Richard Nixon) told me what was going on, and I was taken aback," Gilbert said.

"All I wanted to do was to try to fix the problem. I hadn't even thought about that photo. I didn't see it as a photo that could cause this much damage.

"I don't want my career to be defined by my off-field mistakes, I want to be defined by what I can do on the field. I just want to move on from this."

Saints captain Nick Riewoldt says he has never met the girl who posted a nude photo of him on social networking site Facebook.

"Given that I have had absolutely no association with this person at any point in my life, I am at a loss to understand what their motivation could possibly be," Riewoldt said.

The photo was taken against Riewoldt's wishes by teammate Sam Gilbert and Riewoldt says that he had, at the time, asked Gilbert to delete it.

"I asked Sam to delete the photo; it was my understanding that it was deleted," he said.

"To infer that I would stand there and pose for a photograph naked, knowing it was going to be kept is absolute garbage for people to think that."

St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt says he is disappointed in teammate Sam Gilbert but can still work with him in the wake of the lewd photo scandal.

"Sam and I are both professionals and we both give everything we've got to the St Kilda Football Club and that will continue to be the case. We will have a great working relationship," Riewoldt said.

St Kilda defender Sam Gilbert has apologised to his skipper and teammates caught up in the club's nude photo scandal.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to offer my public apologies to Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo, Zac Dawson and their families as well as the St Kilda Football Club for the distress this may have caused," Gilbert said in a statement.

"In this particular case there has been a significant breach of privacy without my knowledge or consent. I have through this process learnt a very real and harsh lesson of the risks involved by taking photos of this nature, irrespective of where the photos are kept."

St Kilda has secured the signature of Sam Gilbert for a further two years.

"Sam is an important part of our team and we are delighted that he has re-committed to the club," football manager Matthew Drain said.

"He is an exciting young player who gives us options with his flexibility, can adapt to playing in different positions and we expect will still develop as a player."