DOB: 22 May 1956
Debut: Round 3, 1974 against Geelong at MCG
Last Game: Round 6, 1985 against North Melbourne at MCG
From: Bentleigh-McKinnon Youth Club/Ormond
Number: 35 (1974-1983), 1 (1984-1985)
Honours
Best and Fairest - 1981
150 Heroes selection
Life Member - 1984
Games: 203
Goals: 144
Career Statistics
Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
62 | 0 | 141 | 30.54 |
Statistical categories led:
Most games in jumper 35
Most goals in jumper 35
The first 'little league' player to graduate to the VFL, Smith played 17 games in his first season and immediately made an impression.
In 1979 he missed several games with stress fractures of the foot, then injured a hamstring in the final practice match of 1980 and lost a further five weeks. It was the latest in a line of recurring hamstring injuries that had troubled him since 1978.
Despite early flirtations with the forward line, and his love of kicking a goal, Smith spent much of his time as a defender.
Played in a helmet in 1983 due to an injury.
He turned back an offer to join St Kilda for 1984 and was made vice-captain that year. He was picked to play for Victoria before being struck down by Appendicitis. In 1985 he was kept to four games by injury, just as he was ready to return from a groin complaint his foot was broken by a teammate stepping on it in a training mishap and he was further restricted.
Smith never played a final, the fourth highest games total in history to hold that dubious award - four games behind his teammate Gary Hardeman. He flagged his intention to retire due to work commitments before the 1985 season, and despite rumours that he would join Essendon in 1986 he remained retired.
During his time as a player Smith practiced law, and was admitted to the Supreme Court as a barrister in 1979
In retirement Smith served as a director of the club until the end of 1992 and as an MCC committeeman. In 2015 he was elected MCC President and served a four year term.
Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
1974 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
1975 | 22 | 24 | 0 |
1976 | 19 | 33 | 5 |
1977 | 11 | 10 | 0 |
1978 | 22 | 17 | 0 |
1979 | 16 | 15 | 3 |
1980 | 16 | 24 | 3 |
1981 | 22 | 2 | 3 |
1982 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
1983 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
1984 | 19 | 6 | 0 |
1985 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Media
Inside Football - 05/06/1980
Inside Football - 08/03/1984
Inside Football - 07/03/1985
Inside Football - 28/03/1985
Inside Football - 04/07/1985
Inside Football - 13/03/1986
Age - 18/12/1992