'Nervous gilbert Coming Home Saturday Night

saintly · Post: # 747009Post **saintly** » Thu 28 May 2009 2:56pm

'NERVOUS' GILBERT COMING HOME SATURDAY NIGHT
NERVOUS GILBERT HOME SATURDAY NIGHT

http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page ... onID=56333
Wednesday, 27 May 2009

St.Kilda defender and Gold Coast product Sam Gilbert is used to playing at the MCG in front of 90,000 AFL fans. But according to the Gold Coast Bulletinâ€™s Nick Smart, it is when he runs out in front of 10,000 people at Carrara that he experiences the butterflies in the pit of his stomach.

Smart today profiles the 22-year-old defender, who recently re-committed to the Saints to put himself out of reach of the Gold Coast expansion franchise.

"I played quite a few games there and it feels like home when I do play there," Gilbert told the Bulletin.

"I get a lot more nervous when I do play there because I know how many family and friends there are around me at Carrara.

"I have had a lot of messages the past couple of weeks so there are a few coming. Hopefully I can have an all right game for them."

The former Southport Shark will line up for St Kilda against Melbourne at Carrara on Saturday night.

Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline.

He has impressed with his run off the half-back line, but has also proved he is no one-trick pony and can match it one on one.

He came of age when he shut down Magpies forward Travis Cloke earlier this season in what many believed was his best game for the club.

Gilbert put his good form down to the strong leadership at Moorabbin.

"I had a good pre-season and we have good leaders around the club that have really helped me from the start of pre-season," he said.

"Even last year to now, we have Sam Fisher there and SOS (Stephen Silvagni) our backline coach who has helped me a lot.

"There has been a lot of leadership around me that has helped me out."

Coach Ross Lyon experimented with Gilbert up forward during the NAB Cup before going down back again.

Although it was a fleeting change, he said it helped certain aspects of his game. "In the pre-season when I was playing up forward I did a lot more marking than usual so that helped me as well," he said.

Gilbert made headlines recently when he ignored the incoming Gold Coast Football Club to re-sign with St Kilda until the end of 2012.

He said he was loving life in Melbourne and never entertained the prospect of heading home.

"There were no discussions about it -- once the Saints said they wanted to re-sign me I was ready to go," he said. "I am very happy there and really enjoying my footy at the Saints."

James · Post: # 747013Post **James** » Thu 28 May 2009 3:06pm

He'll do better if he's nervous. Fact of life.

aussiejones · Thu 28 May 2009 3:15pm

"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Sheesh

asiu · Post: # 747023Post **asiu** » Thu 28 May 2009 3:29pm

St.Kilda defender and Gold Coast product Sam Gilbert is used to playing at the MCG in front of 90,000 AFL fans.

when?

James · Post: # 747024Post **James** » Thu 28 May 2009 3:30pm

gazrat wrote:
St.Kilda defender and Gold Coast product Sam Gilbert is used to playing at the MCG in front of 90,000 AFL fans.
when?

Finals series last year?

He's never struck me as one that buckles under pressure. He just goes about his damn well business.

stinger · Post: # 747062Post **stinger** » Thu 28 May 2009 4:10pm

gazrat wrote:
St.Kilda defender and Gold Coast product Sam Gilbert is used to playing at the MCG in front of 90,000 AFL fans.
when?

talking about the future one would hope......and grannie crowds.....

evertonfc · Post: # 747064Post **evertonfc** » Thu 28 May 2009 4:12pm

aussiejones wrote:"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Sheesh

Nick Smart knows his footy.

Saint Bev · Post: # 747158Post **Saint Bev** » Thu 28 May 2009 6:12pm

evertonfc wrote:
aussiejones wrote:"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Sheesh
Nick Smart knows his footy.

I can assure you, Nick Smart does not live by his name

A true Qld tosser.

stinger · Post: # 747164Post **stinger** » Thu 28 May 2009 6:15pm

Saint Bev wrote:
evertonfc wrote:
aussiejones wrote:"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Sheesh
Nick Smart knows his footy.
I can assure you, Nick Smart does not live by his name

A true Qld tosser.

that's a fair wack of the population isn't it....???

SainterK · Post: # 747169Post **SainterK** » Thu 28 May 2009 6:18pm

Must be a buzz for him to go play in front of his family and friends, it probably doesn't happen as often as they would like....

ace · Post: # 747170Post **ace** » Thu 28 May 2009 6:18pm

aussiejones wrote:"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Here, here.

Harvey To Hayes · Thu 28 May 2009 6:20pm

stinger wrote:
Saint Bev wrote:
evertonfc wrote:
aussiejones wrote:"Gilbert is arguably the most improved player in the competition this season and has become a vital cog of the Saints' backline. "

Sheesh
Nick Smart knows his footy.
I can assure you, Nick Smart does not live by his name

A true Qld tosser.

that's a fair wack of the population isn't it....???

That's state-ist!

saintly · Post: # 750643Post **saintly** » Wed 03 Jun 2009 10:11am

well with the way he played in the first quarter dropping a few marks , he may have been nervous.