The Ross Gibbs travelling show

by ANTHONY & MICHAEL MADIGAN

THERE was no bigger showman than Ross Gibbs, the Glenelg champion dubbed "Mr Cool" because of his nonchalant approach to the game and his ability to rack up countless kicks with no fuss, but ruthless efficiency.

When Gibbs joined Victor Harbor after 256 games with Glenelg, it was the biggest thing to happen to the coastal town since the Southern Right whales returned. He lined up at full-forward for the Kangaroos and played alongside a host of former Bay team-mates including Tony Symonds, Clayton Lamb, Chris Duthie, Peter Maynard and Gavin Walsh.

Gibbs spiced up the competition with his antics and it wasn't unusual for hostile crowds to change ends after each quarter just to abuse him from close range behind the goals. A woman spectator threw an apple at him one day so he picked it up off the ground, took a few big bites and then threw it back at her. And he really stirred up the opposition crowd the day he ran into an open goal, placed the ball on the ground and back-heeled it through for a goal!

Despite all the shenanigans, Gibbs was a sensational footballer for Victor Harbor. He kicked 155 goals in his first season and followed that up with a lazy 168 goals - a league record - in his second year. His third and fourth seasons produced 135 and 118 goals respectively.

Before one match, Gibbs told Tony Symonds that he was going to break his record - which at the time was 18 goals in a match. Gibbs ran amok that day, kicking 18 by half-time. The locals still talk about the day in 1995 when he kicked 30-10 against Port Elliott - the 30th goal being kicked after the siren which also brought up his 100th for the season. He kicked nine goals in each of the first two quarters, seven in the third and five in the last - or a goal every three minutes and 20 seconds. At three-quarter time Gibbs told coach Kym Smith that he was embarrassed and he'd had enough, but the coach asked him to stay on the ground as everyone wanted him to get the magical 100. Gibbs had 42 kicks and one handball that day, as Victor Harbor 52-51 (363) edged out Port Elliott 2-0 (12).

Gibbs repeated the dose in 1996, kicking another 30 goals in a match. Port Elliott was again the victim, losing to Victor Harbor 0-1 (1) to 67-28 (430).

During the 1998 season, Gibbs went to the pictures with his wife one night and watched The Full Monty - a flick about some pommies stripping to raise money. The film inspired Gibbs to carry out one of the funniest incidents ever seen on a footy field. In the dying minutes of the last match of 1998, Gibbs was on 99 goals for the year when he took a mark right in front of goals. The Victor crowd cheered wildly and were ready to celebrate yet another 100-goal season by the gun recruit. But spectators became confused when Gibbs placed the ball on the ground and took his jumper off. Ever the showman, he started taking his shorts off as well. Throughout his career Gibbs wasn't shy at giving umpires advice on how to do a better job, but this time his disrespect for the men in white was about to come back and haunt him. "What do you think you're doing?" asked the umpire. "Look umpy," said Gibbs, "I'm retiring after this match and I've always wanted to be the first footballer ever to kick a goal in the nude." The umpire told Gibbs, whose shorts were down around his knees by this stage, to put his clothes back on immediately. Sensing that the umpire didn't share his wicked sense of humour, Gibbs obliged but put his jumper on inside out, hiding his number. The umpire, not amused, promptly awarded a free kick against Gibbs for time wasting, and then sent him off despite the opposition full-back urging the umpire to keep him on. Moments later the siren went, leaving Gibbs stranded on 99 goals for the year.

From Bush Legends: South Australian Country Footy Stories

Ross Gibbs as he appeared in an Ardmona footy card in 1981. Gibbs played junior footy with Mirrabooka before graduating to league ranks for West Perth and moving to South Australia.

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