| Josh Gibcus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Joshua Gibcus[1] | ||
| Born |
4 April 2003 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Original teams |
GWV Rebels (NAB League) East Point Football Club (BFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 9, 2021 AFL National Draft: Richmond | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2022, Richmond vs. Carlton, at MCG | ||
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position | Key defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Richmond | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2022– | Richmond | 21 (3) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2025 season. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Joshua Gibcus (born 4 April 2003) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). An intercepting key position defender, he was a top ten pick in the 2021 AFL draft and made his debut in the first round of the 2022 season. In each of his second and third AFL seasons he would suffer long-term hamstring and knee injuries that restricted him to just two matches over that period.
Early life and junior football
Gibcus was born in Brisbane, where his family remained through the age of seven and where he first learned to play football in the Auskick junior training program.[2] He took up competition football after his family moved to Perth, where they remained until he turned 14. During that time, he represented Western Australia at the AFL Under 12 national championships.[2]
The family moved once again when Gibcus was 14, this time to the regional Victorian town of Ballarat, where he spent the remainder of his teenage years.[2] There he played junior football for East Point Football Club, attended high school at St Patrick's College and played with St Patricks' top-level football side from 2019 as a year-10 student.[3][4] In the same year he represented Victoria's Country region at the Under 16 national championships.[5]
Gibcus' participation in competitive football in 2020 and 2021 were limited by the cancellation and intermittent operation of sports events caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.[6]
In 2020, Gibcus was a member of the Greater Western Victoria Rebels NAB League representative squad, though was unable to play competitive matches that year owing to the cancellation of the season.[2] That same year, Gibcus was also a member of the Ballarat Miners basketball team's NBL1 South squad.[7]
The following year saw Gibcus make his NAB League debut, eventually featuring in 10 matches through the interrupted season.[8] Gibcus averaged eight intercepts and three intercept marks per game for the Rebels that season, earning selection to the competition's team of the year.[9][10] In the absence of an official Under 19 national championships in 2021, Gibcus participated in an exhibition challenge match between Victoria's Country and Metropolitan sides in July.[11][12] That same year he also featured in an AFL Academy representative team match against the Geelong VFL side.[13]
AFL career
Gibcus was drafted by Richmond with the club's first pick and the ninth selection overall in the 2021 AFL draft.[14]
He made his AFL debut in the opening round of the 2022 AFL season.[15]
In 2023, Gibcus did not feature in competition football at any level, owing to a severe hamstring tendon injury and later complications with recurring wound infections and atrophy of the muscle.[16] In the off-season that followed he visited leading sports medicine professionals in Qatar to assist in his recovery.[16]
Gibcus made his return in Opening Round of the 2024 season, recording nine disposals in a match against Gold Coast at People First Stadium.[17] He played just one more match that season however, rupturing the ACL in his right knee while landing awkwardly in a marking contest midway through the following week's loss to Carlton at the MCG.[18][19]
Gibcus travelled again to Qatar in the 2024/25 off-season to visit rehabilitation specialists, eventually making a return to light running in January 2025.[20] In May, Gibcus was given a return to play schedule for the first time that season, with a seven-to-ten week timeframe listed for his return.[20]
Player profile
Gbcus plays as a key position defender. He is adept at intercept marking, demonstrating a large vertical leap and strong skills at reading the ball's trajectory in flight.[21] Prior to being drafted to the AFL, his playing style was compared to Melbourne defender Jake Lever.[11]
Statistics
Updated to the end of the 2025 season.[17]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2022 | Richmond | 28 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 99 | 66 | 165 | 62 | 22 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 9.2 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 28[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| 2024 | Richmond | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Richmond | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Career[17] | 21 | 3 | 1 | 111 | 71 | 182 | 67 | 26 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 5.3 | 3.4 | 8.7 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0 | ||
References
- ^ "Draft: Every Club, Every Pick 2021". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Twomey, Callum (29 October 2021). "Off the charts: The well-travelled draft prospect with a monster vertical leap". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "AFL 2021 Draft Class". Ballarat Football Netball League. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Evans, Kyle (6 August 2019). "Webb hopeful small fleet can bring shield to Ballarat". Courier Mail. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "U16 Vic Country squad announced". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Evans, Kyle (21 July 2020). "St Pat's to host special football match". Ballarat Courier. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "Jalen Billups fits the bill for Ballarat Miners". Courier Mail. Australian Community Media. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "#8 Josh Gibcus". Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Rhodes, Brendan (30 September 2021). "It's a tie: Morrish Medal drama as future stars light up NAB League awards". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "Gibcus lands at Tigerland". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b Ralph, Jon (27 November 2021). "AFL Draft 2021: St Kilda believes a return to finals football next year will be spearheaded by its young talent". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Cavanagh, Chris (28 June 2021). "AFL U19 National Championships trials: Vic Metro v Vic Country replay". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Sheehan, Kevin (20 November 2021). "Kevin Sheehan's top 40 draft prospects: Who has traits like the Bont?". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Greenberg, Tony (27 November 2021). "Tigers win big with Gibcus". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Ryan, Peter (17 March 2022). "Carlton break round one drought against Richmond with 'signature win'". The Age. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b Gabelich, Josh (18 February 2025). "Tigers won't rush defender, must be 'smarter' with key mid". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Josh Gibcus". AFL Tables. Retrieved 10 February 2026. Cite error: The named reference "AFLTables" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Barnes, Josh (23 March 2024). "Richmond's Josh Gibcus on track to be 'one of the best key backs in the game': Vlastuin". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Bourke, Ed (15 March 2024). "AFL 2024: Richmond gun Josh Gibcus out for season with ACL injury". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. NCA NewsWire. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b "'He can see the light': Gun Tigers cub nears a return". AFL Media. Telstra Media. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ Doerre, Chris (23 November 2021). "Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft". ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
External links
- Josh Gibcus's profile on the official website of the Richmond Football Club
- Josh Gibcus's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Josh Gibcus at AustralianFootball.com
