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]
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]
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]
^"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.
