After a scintillating semi-final performance against Geelong at the MCG last year, Sam Gibson was labeled, ‘Mr. Unknown’ by the media.
It seemed, to many, as if he had come out of nowhere or played out of his skin on that night – but those who have followed his career closely would know that it was far from a one off effort.
In fact it was Gibson’s 7th 30-plus possession game for 2014 after a year patrolling the wings, running deep into defense to give his teammates cover, or working hard forward to provide an option. Gibson was everywhere.
He also notched up his 60th consecutive game in the preliminary final against Sydney the following week. A streak that has not been broken since his AFL debut, in round 12, 2012.
Put simply, the media were ill-informed, and while Gibson felt it was nice to be finally acknowledged in some way by the wider football world, the recognition didn’t affect his attitude.
“I was pretty indifferent towards it,” Gibson said of his 'Mr Unknown' tag.
“It was probably the hype of finals. In the media’s eyes I was just a plodder until then, and then all of a sudden I elevated my standing.
“I think it was the result of a consistent year. Internally, I know that what I do is valued and I don’t think the semi-final changed that at all.”
It is abundantly clear at Arden Street the level of regard in which Gibson is held.
He was voted into the Club’s leadership group last season and finished 7th in the Syd Barker Medal count.
But it remains Gibson’s attitude that is most impressive and inspiring to those within the club’s walls.
Gibson said his experience of life outside the AFL system helped to build his tireless work ethic.
His path to becoming a regular AFL player was far from easy. After working as an engineer and playing for Box Hill in the VFL, he was drafted by the Kangaroos at 25 years of age, following one year on Hawthorn’s rookie list in 2007.
“Once you experience life outside the ‘footy bubble’, you want to make the most of your opportunities while you’re here,” he said.
“Where I used to work, you would work from 8am till 5pm and you would try to fit in footy outside of that.
“I treat AFL footy like a job. If it’s like a job, then it’s not a chore – you just do it.
“My mindset is ‘right, I’ve dedicated the day to footy – how am I going to get the best out of this day?’ That mindset has made it a lot easier.”
It appears obvious that no amount of praise, whether from external sources or internally, will change Gibson’s attitude toward the year ahead either.
“For me, now, it’s about not being satisfied with last year, but building on that,” Gibson said.
“The immediate goal is just to do every session of pre-season.
“I’m a running player and if my fitness is up to scratch, I give myself the best opportunity to play well.
“While I’m a bit older, it’s only my 4th year of AFL, so I think I’ve still got room to continue to develop.”
As North pushes for further success, Gibson believes it is important for the playing group to remain accountable.
“I think we need to be hard on ourselves,” he said.
“With all the top four sides, their best and their worst aren’t far apart and that’s somewhere we’ve got to get to.
“We can’t accept mediocrity. We need to be firm with ourselves and not let the little things slip.”
Who better for the playing group to look to for leadership in these areas than Sam Gibson.
North forward Ben Brown is currently studying media and is doing an internship with NMFC.com.au.
