TOM MORRIS: How would you compare this pre-season to previous pre-seasons?

SAM GILBERT: There has probably been a bit more emphasis on the running and skill side of the game which has been good. It’s holding us in good stead heading into round one. 

TM: Tell us about your transition from rugby to football as a teenager?

SG: Yeah it was a few years ago now. It was a fairly easy transition back then. I had a few mates playing Aussie Rules and went across with them and had a bit of a kick around and really loved it, so it made it really easy to stay around and play it with them.

TM: Which aspects of Rugby have helped you in the AFL arena?

SG: Probably tackling, especially now because there is such an emphasis on tackling in AFL. It’s definitely something that’s helped me. Probably run and carry with the ball as well, breaking the lines is something I first developed playing rugby.

TM: Drafted pick 33 in 2005, tell us about your memories in the lead-up to the draft and then the draft day.

SG: In the lead-up I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen, obviously the year before I was 18 and missed out. I was just hoping I would get picked up and didn’t really mind where I went, I just wanted to get the opportunity. At the same time I was pretty relaxed as well because I thought if it doesn’t work out then there is other avenues I can go down.

Funnily enough when I did listen to the draft, my Internet connection went down and I didn’t actually hear myself get drafted. So I did go through the disappointment of not making it again that year but I was lucky enough about 10 minutes later to get a message saying ‘congratulations, you are with the saints.’

TM: What were your first impressions of St Kilda Football Club when you arrived?

SG: Probably just the intensity and how hard everyone worked. It just surprised me that on my first day they made us go 100 per cent. I think I thought at the time that you kind of get a week to settle in, but it’s not like that at all. You have to work just as hard as everyone else from the very first day so that was probably my first impression.

TM: How difficult was it at the time for you to train at such a high intensity?

SG: I found the training side of things pretty seamless, just jumped straight into it really. I enjoy training and running is probably not one of my weaknesses, so it probably wasn’t the hardest thing for me.

TM: In 2010 you played 26 games including two Grand Finals, finished equal third in the best and fairest, and played in the International Rules team. What did you learn from that season?

SG: It was definitely a good season for the club. The way the seasons went that led up to it, it never felt like we weren’t going to be a good side. What I learn from that now is just taking that for granted – the players playing well, everyone playing their role and being such a good team.

TM: Was the culture a big part of your success that season?

SG: Yeah absolutely, the culture has always been pretty good here. I think that year particularly, the boys meshed together well and we all had a focus and were moving in one direction. It was very good to be part of.

TM: After such a near miss in 2010, was it difficult to get yourself up for the 2011 season?

SG: Not really, I did feel particularly motivated before 2011. In saying this, sometimes you might mentally switch off without knowing that you are switching off. I didn’t go into 2011 thinking that we’ve had our chance and now it’s over. I definitely went in thinking that this was another opportunity if we play well, but I think a lot of our players didn’t play as well as what we did the previous year.

TM: You included?

SG: My form was pretty average; I had a pretty big drop-off from season to season. It was something I obviously didn’t want to happen, it just crept in and something I had to work through to get back to where I am now.

TM: What has Scott Watters message been to you since he arrived at Seaford?

SG: He wants me to be a little bit stronger around the contest and in the air which is something I am working on and hopefully improving at these aspects of my game.

TM: You’ve had shoulder surgery in the summer, how did the rehab go?

SG: It went well. It was tough at first and very hard to get through the initial stages of rehab. It was my first major injury where I spent so much time rehabbing my shoulder. That was something that took time, but for me it was probably a good thing because it gave me time away. I had been always playing, always training, always running so it gave me an opportunity to sit back and kind of work on my own game and see training from another point of view. To see how other players work from the sidelines, so as bad as it was also a good eye opener for me.

TM: Were you envious of the rest of the list who travelled to Colorado?

SG: I am envious now, but at the time I needed the surgery and I had plates [in my shoulder] that were causing me quite a bit of pain. It was quite easy to stay behind.

TM: What have you got out of the NAB Cup this pre-season?

SG: It’s given me an opportunity to experiment in some midfield roles and I’ve really enjoyed playing there. So hopefully during the year I get this opportunity again, but I’d say in round one I’ll be down back.

TM: What do you want to improve on in 2013, your eighth season?

SG: Just being better around the contest to being really strong in the air and just hunting the ball again.

TM: Which teammates do you reckon have the potential to take a step up this season?

SG: Jack Steven has done a lot this pre-season, he’s trained really well – he’s a candidate to really step up this year. But then you see players that have done it before like Leigh Montagna; he’s had a terrific pre-season. Wright (Nathan Wright) since he’s been at the club has trained really hard so he could be a good player for us as well this year. And Jack Newnes, he’s had a good pre-season.

TM: Do you have leadership aspirations at St Kilda?

SG: I see myself as a person around the club who has elements of leadership but at the moment I am just working on my own game and I hopefully get that right. We’ll see what happens.

TM: What can Saints fans look forward to most in 2013?

SG: Just a competitive side with a hunger to win is what they are going to enjoy most out of this season. We are definitely not going in to lay down, so we want to be a good side.