Once one of the AFL's preeminent versatile defenders, Sam Gilbert has become somewhat of an afterthought.
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In St Kilda's grand final seasons of 2009 and 2010, Gilbert's intercept play and rebounding off half-back was an important component of the Saints' miserly defence. But a drop-off in form in 2011, and then three injury-affected years since, have seen the man from the NSW-Queensland border fall largely out of mind.
St Kilda are hopeful however that Gilbert, 28, will make it to the starter's line for the round one clash against Greater Western Sydney on April 5, despite post-season foot surgery.
He remains on a modified program, and wasn't on the track as the Saints went through their paces in front of a healthy crowd at Seaford on Wednesday morning.
St Kilda director of coaching Danny Sexton was keen to talk up Gilbert's attributes.
"We're really hopeful Sam is available [for round one]," Sexton said before training.
"He's a terrific player. Everyone at 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 the injuries he's had over the last two or three years.
"Potentially the competition has forgotten what a really influential player he is."
Gilbert enters his 10th season at the Saints with 146 games' experience, having been held to just 15 over the past two years. With St Kilda clearly still in rebound mode, he shapes as a potential free agent target when he comes out of contract at season's end, with the cases of James Frawley, Brian Lake and Jared Rivers showing that tall defenders are prized commodities come October - even if they haven't played their best football in some time.
Sexton emphasised that St Kilda want to retain Gilbert.
"We're not going to want good players to leave the club, and he's been a really good player for us and has been for a long period of time," he said.
"We hope that he sees a future here at the club.
"He's so versatile. If we want him to play as one of the ground level players, he's got the speed and agility to do that. He's 194 centimetres, so if we want him to play on the talls, he can do that. He can lockdown, he can beat his man one-on-one, but he's so good at rolling off and assisting his teammates."
While no clubs have been formally linked with Gilbert, former Saints coach Ross Lyon is known to be a major fan, and could look to swoop if the Saints do not lock him away.
The vast majority of the St Kilda squad trained on Wednesday morning, although skipper Nick Riewoldt and ruckman Tom Hickey were notable absentees. Prodigious midfielder Luke Dunstan wore protective padding, but was back training with the main group following shoulder surgery.
Utility Arryn Siposs - also out of contract at the end of 2015 - is making slow progress as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
Sexton couldn't provide much clarity on a possible return date for the 22-year-old.
"He's a little bit away. In terms of exact time, not so sure."
