Gibbs has played senior football for only two clubs, Bairnsdale and Scarborough in Western Australia, and won premierships with both.

The 30-year-old father of two played his 200th game for the Redlegs earlier this year - rushing his comeback from a broken hand to do so.

Bairnsdale finished its Gippsland league season on Saturday in eighth position after a 10-point loss to Moe, and Gibbs was restricted to 12 matches for the year after breaking his hand against Morwell in May.

The next match he played was his 200th senior game for the Redlegs in late June.

But Gibbs and Bairnsdale had a day to celebrate after beating Drouin by 26 points, with Gibbs booting six goals.

“The club looked after me and did a lot for me. They always have,” Gibbs said.

“The club’s been awesome and that’s why I never left and never really wanted to leave.”

Bairnsdale club president Richard Evans said Gibbs was a highly decorated player, but more importantly was “Bairnsdale through and through”.

“They’re the sort of guys that create the fabric of your club and they’re the guys that become natural leaders because of their passion for the club,” Evans said.

AFL East Gippsland’s Adrian Bromage said while Gibbs was a talented player, it was his leadership abilities that set him apart — it’s what led Bromage to appoint Gibbs Bairnsdale’s captain when Gibbs returned from WA and Bromage was coaching the Redlegs.

“I think that’s probably been his best trait, although he has been a fantastic player, his leadership abilities and skills,” Bromage said.

Gibbs saw and played in some of the Redlegs’ glory days in the East Gippsland league, when they won eight premierships between 2000 and 2010 after switching from the Gippsland Latrobe league in 1999.

Gibbs was also a key player in the Redlegs’ shift into the Gippsland league for the 2011 season, as captain at the time.

Bairnsdale has no reserves in the Gippsland league; instead its players have an aligned club from one of the district leagues where they play if not required in the Redlegs’ seniors.

“It was at the point where, although we still loved our footy and we loved winning ... it wasn’t, I suppose, a challenge for many people,” Gibbs said.

“It was either try and make the next step, and have a go at Gippsland level, or lose a lot of people from our club that we didn’t want to lose.”

Before Gibbs calls time on his career, he hopes to win a flag in the major league — or even a couple of finals. He will continue at the club next year, and it was announced last week that Box Hill senior assistant coach and North Melbourne premiership player Stuart Anderson had signed on as Bairnsdale’s coach.

“I’d love to win a flag at Gippsland (league) level, even to win a couple of finals would be nice. I’d like to finish here on success,” Gibbs said.

“But I am pretty lucky. I haven’t had many injuries until this year, I’ve had a horrible year, but I’ve been lucky.

“If I get fit I think I have still got a few years in me at least, so I’d rather finish my career here and I’d love to retire here.

“Pretty much a one-club player my whole life is something that would be nice.”