Hawthorn star Josh Gibson sees ball, gets ball Josh Gibson at the Brighton Baths at 7.30am. HAWTHORN defender Josh Gibson is one of those new-age guys who has no embarrassment when expressing love for his fellow man. Whether speaking of his coach Alastair Clarkson or the great West Indies cricketers of days gone by, Gibson is at ease is discussing his warmth for their influences on his life. Get all the Round 18 line-ups The cricketers come first - Gibson's father Caleb was born in Barbados and grew up with the likes of Malcolm Marshall. As a youngster, Gibson became familiar with West Indian cricketers visiting "for cook-ups" when the team was in Melbourne. Gibson, 29, a handy first-change bowler and middle-order batsman at Trinity Grammar, would sometimes bowl to the West Indies players in the nets at the MCG. And Brian Lara dated his sister Melita for a while, so the connection continued. But Gibson chose football, working his way from the Oakleigh Chargers to Port Melbourne before winning a rookie elevation with North Melbourne in 2005. He retains enormous respect for the Kangaroos for "taking a chance on me when no one else would." But he believed he was a defender rather than a tagger, which was his role in 2009 at the Kangaroos, a year in which he finished fifth in the best and fairest. That's when Clarkson entered his life, outlining a spot in defence. The relationship hasn't looked back, with Gibson running second in the Hawks' B & F of 2011. Josh Gibson is likely to have scans on Monday. I have so much love for 'Clarko' as a coach. He always has our back and gets a lot of buy-in from his players but that comes from how much he invests in us," Gibson said. I live in the same suburb as him (Brighton) so the first year I might have got the call at 11pm when he wanted to show me some vision. He has eased off me since then. His mind just never sits still about what's going to be working next. We have a really good coaching group. They realise the game doesn't stand still and are always looking to evolve. Gibson is a vital part of Hawthorn's defensive planning with his ability to play tall or small and his reckless attack on the ball. There are times when he appears more suited as a circus trapeze artist as he throws his 189cm frame around like a Hollywood stuntman, occasionally landing head-first into the ground, such as in Round 14 against the Brisbane Lions in Launceston. That particular crash-landing looked bad, potentially career-threatening. For Gibson it was all about being able to live with himself. I don't even know what I'm thinking. It's a requirement and I'd be embarrassed if I didn't put my body on the line. Against Brisbane I would be embarrassed not to go against a guy like Jonathan Brown," said Gibson, who admits to having modelled some of his game on retired Geelong fullback Matthew Scarlett. I just look at the ball and go for it. I tried to do the cartwheel and didn't quite land it. Mum saw it and was worried. It (my neck) has been pretty stiff after it. Preparing for a game takes up a lot of time. On my day off I go swimming at Brighton Baths then normally head out to the club for some physio before my chiropractor. So much of our time is taken up with recovery. Away from football, Gibson likes checking out his cafes in St Kilda and Brighton or being in the company of mates such as motorbike stuntman Robbie Maddinson or teammate Lance Franklin. Josh Gibson says all AFL players need to be able to trust their club's medical staff. This year Gibson has found himself playing alongside a new defensive partner in Brian Lake, allowing him to zone off more often. Gone are the days of standing next to Fremantle's 211cm Aaron Sandilands, an image that still causes Gibson to laugh. "You just hope they kick the ball along the ground when they pass to him," he said. I'm listed at 189cm, so you work with what you have got. It isn't just about being tall, you know.