John Francis Gilbert (20 November 1918 – 29 November 1998) was an Australian premiership winning

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1940s.

Background

Jack and his brothers: Herb Gilbert, Jr. and Bob Gilbert were sons of the pioneer rugby league champion footballer,

Herb Gilbert Herbert R. Gilbert (18 September 1888 – 5 January 1972) was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player – a dual-code international. He represented the Wallabies in three Tests in 1910 and the Kangaroos in seven Tests from 1911 to 19 ...

. The brothers grew up in

Bexley, New South Wales Bexley is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bexley is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Bayside Council and is part of the St George area. His ...

and came through the

St George Saint George (Greek language, Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin language, Latin: Georgius, Arabic language, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christians, Christian who is venerated as a sa ...

junior ranks.

Playing career

Gilbert's career was curtailed by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and he only played two full first grade seasons with St. George in

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

and

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

. Gilbert won a premiership with St. George, playing centre in the team that defeated

Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...

in the 1941 Grand Final. At season's end Gilbert was posted to New Guinea to see active service with the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...

. He survived the war, and after his discharge in April 1946, Gilbert resumed his playing career at

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

for the 1946 season, before retiring from Sydney first grade football. His grandson,

Sam Gilbert Samuel Gilbert (born 19 August 1986) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Early life Gilbert is a rugby league convert who didn’t start playi ...

is an

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

footballer for the St Kilda club.

Death

Gilbert died on 29 November 1998, and was cremated at Woronora Cemetery,

Sutherland, New South Wales Sutherland is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sutherland is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Su ...

Published sources

* Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) ''The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players'', Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney * Haddan, Steve (2007) ''The Finals - 100 Years of National Rugby League Finals'', Steve Haddan Publishing, Brisbane

References

1918 births 1998 deaths Australian rugby league players St. George Dragons players Australian Army personnel of World War II Rugby league centres Rugby league players from Sydney Country New South Wales rugby league team players Australian Army soldiers {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1910s-stub