Gilbert McAdam

Gilbert McAdam (born 30 March 1967 in Alice Springs) was an indigenous Australian rules football player and one of three McAdam brothers in the Australian Football League.

Early career

Having grown up in Alice Springs where his father was president of the South Alice Football Club and his older brother Greg McAdam had earlier found his way to the St Kilda Football Club via Adelaide. McAdam moved to Darwin to play in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) with Southern Districts Football Club when he was just 11 years old. After a few seasons he went on to play in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) with Central District Football Club, taking out the 1989 Magarey Medal.

AFL career

He found his way to the Australian Football League playing for St Kilda Football Club showing flashes of brilliance. After a few inconsistent years, he was traded to the Brisbane Bears.

McAdam left the AFL in 1996 after several years of service to the Brisbane Bears (58 games) for a total of 111 AFL matches. He returned to the Central District Football Club for the 1998 SANFL season and retired from football altogether in 1999.

His younger brother, Adrian, later found his way to a brief career with the North Melbourne Football Club.

Coaching career

Gilbert returned to Alice Springs and coached South Alice to a premiership. In 2006, he moved back to Darwin to coach the Darwin Football Club.

Professional career

In 2007 Gilbert McAdam took up a position with the Academy of Sport, Health and Education in Shepparton, Victoria. The academy uses participation in sport as an avenue for primarily Indigenous people to undertake education and training within a trusted, culturally appropriate environment. His role with the academy is as a Sports and Personal Development Officer.