Smith, the Geelong midfielder, was set to be hit with a $1,500 sanction for careless high contact. This penalty followed a frightening incident with an umpire on Thursday night. The ban was handed down after Smith ran into the official. This occurred as he attempted to defend against fellow Bulldog Tom Liberatore at a centre bounce, just as the final siren sounded.
In the wake of the ordeal, Smith made amends by apologizing and even helped the umpire stand up again. Clearly, he was the only player from the entire match that needed to be punished. This came as quite a shock given his dominant performance was the catalyst for Geelong’s recent upset win over the Western Bulldogs.
Smith has made an enormous difference on the field this season. This puts him in line to be a genuine Brownlow Medal dark horse. He ambushed a couple of ball carriers in the game against the Bulldogs and nearly took out Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. Overall, he racked up 33 disposals and six clearances. Smith’s appearance in the game had been a mystery up until shortly before tipoff. He dealt with a shin problem that took repeated painkilling shots to stay on the track.
Smith sipped a glass of champagne as he entered the media spotlight. This game being his first-ever matchup against his old squad, the Bulldogs, he was really enjoying the moment. Geelong won 20.7 to 16.17 at GMHBA Stadium, making Smith’s accomplishment all the more impressive.
“It’s been fun. I’m just so grateful to be able to be welcomed with open arms after a bit of a shit year last year.” – Bailey Smith
In addition to Smith’s success on the field, Smith’s conduct has raised eyebrows off it as well. Earlier this season, he was disciplined for two different incidents in which he made gestures toward rival fans. His $1,000 slap on the wrist for flipping the bird at Adelaide supporters in round five was hardly a deterrence either. The following week, he was hit with a $1,875 fine for a similar gesture aimed at Hawthorn supporters.
As for his current experience at Geelong, Smith reflected on how things have changed compared to years past. He credited the club’s culture, specifically their focus on understanding and accepting everyone’s unique traits.
“That’s the beauty of the club, is that they let you be yourself, and probably don’t make you try and conform to something you’re not, sort of like previous years.” – Bailey Smith
After the loss to the Bulldogs, Smith painted a picture of his condition, revealing he felt his arms had been clawed up while in action. When pressed on where they came from, he jokingly blamed the whole thing on Liberatore. An unfortunate precursor to that tussle came in the fourth quarter.
“I certainly s**t myself for this game but it was almost reverse psychology with them not giving me attention.” – Bailey Smith
