Latest news with #BaileySmith
Courier-Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
AFL world roasts Geelong Cats T-shirt stunt in Patrick Dangerfield 350th against Brisbane Lion at GMHBA Stadium
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Geelong's unique move to fill the stadium with white T-shirts for the club's big clash with the Brisbane Lions may not have drawn the response the Cats were seeking. The reigning premiers burst out of the blocks and dictated play most of the night in a statement 14.8 (92) to 6.15 (51) victory that snaps Brisbane's long losing run in Geelong. It all left the Cats' 'Kit out the Cattery' campaign falling a bit flat. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Billed as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats covered every seat at GMHBA Stadium with what they described as 'a free collectable T-shirt' for the Friday night blockbuster. It's a move that is often used in American sports and can have a strong look when everyone in the crowd is kitted out in the same colour. Both the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder have adopted the move during their clash in the NBA Finals. Bailey Smith in one of the white T-shirts handed out to the crowd. Photos: Getty Images On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game, the commentators were certainly getting into the spirit. 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight down the highway as the local heroes emerge. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids now fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong lore, which grows tonight, game 350 … on a special night in the way that it shapes.' The fans appeared to be enjoying their moment, with many donning the shirts and a number of others waving them in the air on a cold night in Geelong. The Lions added a splash of colour to the occasion. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Nearly all of the OKC Thunder fans followed the memo during the NBA Finals. (Photo by) The Lions may not have got the memo, however, as the premiers made a hot start bidding for a first victory at Kardinia Park since they won five straight from 1998 to 2003. They have lost 13 consecutive games at the ground since then, yet they jumped out of the blocks with the game's first four goals. By halftime they held a 23-point edge and fans on social media were having a field day over the white T-shirt promotion, with many referencing the white flag of surrender. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' was one comment on X. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' quipped another. 'I didn't have high expectations for the white T-shirt thing but it's looking pretty average,' declared another. 'Conceded the first 4 of the game, wave the white flag,' said a fifth. 'What's with the white, did Geelong decide to surrender?' asked another watching on. Others were left questioning the decision to use T-shirts as a gift on a Geelong night in late June. One said: 'Yes because people are gonna be in a T-shirt on a 3 degrees night in Geelong.' Another wrote: 'Yeah people are definitely gonna wear them on 5C winters night.' Apart from the T-shirts, Patrick Dangerfield was the man of the moment. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) A wide number of fans used the word 'cringe' to describe the promotion, while another slammed 'the AFL's desperation to Americanise the game'. Some fans were getting on board, with a Hawthorn fan writing: 'Hate Geelong as much as the next Hawks fan but god damn those white shirts in the crowd look good.' A fan apparently in the crowd also gave an insight into perhaps why not everyone in the crowd was wearing the shirt. 'Late decision to make the trip down, might struggle to fit into my 2x small white out shirt,' they wrote. Dangerfield and the Cats needed to lift in the second half or the crowd will indeed be waving the white flag. But it wasn't to be as the Lions played the ultimate party poopers and showed their title defence is right on track. Originally published as 'Surrender?': AFL world roasts Geelong T-shirt stunt in Danger's 350th
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘They LOVE him' Scott backs Bailey Smith
AFL: Geelong Cats coach Chris Scott joined AFL 360 and was questioned on where the club stands with their young superstar Bailey Smith.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bailey Smith hits the right note at Geelong but he is no showstopper
Bailey Smith could easily have coasted along against Essendon on the weekend. He could have racked up a few dozen disposals for Geelong and saved his hamstrings for the far more onerous challenge of Brisbane this Friday. But that's not how he's wired. Everything is at full throttle. There is not a lot of craft or guile to how he plays. He simply runs the opposition into the ground. With apologies to Shane Crawford and Robert Harvey, he runs harder than any footballer I can remember. Prior to his knee injury at Western Bulldogs, Smith had been gradually squeezed out of favour. The coach Luke Beveridge didn't quite know what to do with him. The fanbase was increasingly frustrated with him. He was a hard footballer to place. He was a subdued, resentful figure. Advertisement Related: From the Pocket: Australian football is notably richer when it's open to everyone The ACL in many ways clarified things. Smith was barely at the club during rehab. 'A lonely, shitty period,' he called it. He was training on his own. He led an interesting social life. Relationships with teammates and the coach were fractured, perhaps forever. The Dogs were in an early season rut and he was swanning about with his shirt off in the European summer. Understandably, it rubbed a few of them up the wrong way. They'd protected him and tolerated him. Now he was singing off with a very strange Instagram post; 'To those praying for my downfall, thank you.' It was probably best for everyone that he left. The Bulldogs and Cats are two very different midfields, and Smith and his coach ultimately struggled to find his right fit. Beveridge was overloaded with midfielders, and the Cats were crying out for one. His personality and his game wasn't suited to being a fourth or fifth stringer. Since changing clubs, so many ridiculous things have been said and written about Smith. Here's Steve Crawley, the managing director of Fox Sports, speaking to The Age recently; 'Big-time sports need show-stoppers like Bailey Smith. Think [David] Beckham. Think Pat Cash at 18 with the bandana, Tiger Woods, think David Warner. Mortals are OK, but superheroes are better. He is Shane Warne-like.' Advertisement I mean, just settle yourself down! Smith isn't really a showstopper at all. He's a grinder. He's an accumulator. He's a death-by-a-thousand-cuts footballer. And clearly, if a recent podcast is any indication, he's caught between being Crawley's 'superhero' and the frankly pretty boring life of a professional footballer – eat, sleep, train, sauna, cold plunge, rack up 41 touches, repeat. Some of the language Smith used on the Real Stuff podcast would be familiar to anyone who suffers extreme anxiety – 'obsessive', 'perfectionist', and so on. As early as year 10 at school, he had injuries from overtraining and even a bout of pneumonia he says was caused by stress. In every article I read about Smith, the word 'complex' bobs up. We write about him like he's Hamlet. But in this interview, I simply heard a young man who's still figuring out who he is, who needs to be well managed, who's still learning how to manage himself. To his credit, he called out a lot of the analysis of the game, calling it 'toxic'. It can only help that he got out of Melbourne. If ever someone needed a bit of peace and quiet, it's him. It would be ever better if he got off his phone. But of course, that's the great paradox of his life. He has built his brand on that phone. Other influencers or fitness models of a similar social media reach would encounter all sorts of negativity and trolling. But there are many different layers when it comes to what Smith would cop – 17 supporter bases willing him to fail, a governing body that will fine him without hesitation, imbeciles screaming at him from over the fence, taggers, his former club, and an entire industry of analysis shows designed to pick apart, scold and rein him in. Related: Bailey Smith embraces the big stage as Geelong hold nerve in another Easter classic | Jonathan Horn Advertisement With Bailey Smith, it has always been about something else other than football. It has always been about the brand, the monkey mind, the fireside chats, the abs, the smartassery, the sculptural miracle of the hair, the petty offences. However, he has been an outstanding footballer at Geelong. He resembles Fabio and still occasionally kicks like him, but given the frantic, full pelt way his new team seeks to play, the odd stray kick isn't necessarily a bad thing. Watching someone like Scott Pendlebury play footy is like settling into a pair of old slippers. Watching Smith is very different. The hyperactivity of his game can make it seem as though he is constantly on the verge of blowing up, of running out of batteries. You worry about him but there he is, moving like a shovel snouted lizard, notching up his 41st possession, and moving into Brownlow medal favouritism.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Bailey Smith hits the right note at Geelong but he is no showstopper
Bailey Smith could easily have coasted along against Essendon on the weekend. He could have racked up a few dozen disposals for Geelong and saved his hamstrings for the far more onerous challenge of Brisbane this Friday. But that's not how he's wired. Everything is at full throttle. There is not a lot of craft or guile to how he plays. He simply runs the opposition into the ground. With apologies to Shane Crawford and Robert Harvey, he runs harder than any footballer I can remember. Prior to his knee injury at Western Bulldogs, Smith had been gradually squeezed out of favour. The coach Luke Beveridge didn't quite know what to do with him. The fanbase was increasingly frustrated with him. He was a hard footballer to place. He was a subdued, resentful figure. The ACL in many ways clarified things. Smith was barely at the club during rehab. 'A lonely, shitty period,' he called it. He was training on his own. He led an interesting social life. Relationships with teammates and the coach were fractured, perhaps forever. The Dogs were in an early season rut and he was swanning about with his shirt off in the European summer. Understandably, it rubbed a few of them up the wrong way. They'd protected him and tolerated him. Now he was singing off with a very strange Instagram post; 'To those praying for my downfall, thank you.' It was probably best for everyone that he left. The Bulldogs and Cats are two very different midfields, and Smith and his coach ultimately struggled to find his right fit. Beveridge was overloaded with midfielders, and the Cats were crying out for one. His personality and his game wasn't suited to being a fourth or fifth stringer. Since changing clubs, so many ridiculous things have been said and written about Smith. Here's Steve Crawley, the managing director of Fox Sports, speaking to The Age recently; 'Big-time sports need show-stoppers like Bailey Smith. Think [David] Beckham. Think Pat Cash at 18 with the bandana, Tiger Woods, think David Warner. Mortals are OK, but superheroes are better. He is Shane Warne-like.' I mean, just settle yourself down! Smith isn't really a showstopper at all. He's a grinder. He's an accumulator. He's a death-by-a-thousand-cuts footballer. And clearly, if a recent podcast is any indication, he's caught between being Crawley's 'superhero' and the frankly pretty boring life of a professional footballer – eat, sleep, train, sauna, cold plunge, rack up 41 touches, repeat. Some of the language Smith used on the Real Stuff podcast would be familiar to anyone who suffers extreme anxiety – 'obsessive', 'perfectionist', and so on. As early as year 10 at school, he had injuries from overtraining and even a bout of pneumonia he says was caused by stress. In every article I read about Smith, the word 'complex' bobs up. We write about him like he's Hamlet. But in this interview, I simply heard a young man who's still figuring out who he is, who needs to be well managed, who's still learning how to manage himself. To his credit, he called out a lot of the analysis of the game, calling it 'toxic'. It can only help that he got out of Melbourne. If ever someone needed a bit of peace and quiet, it's him. It would be ever better if he got off his phone. But of course, that's the great paradox of his life. He has built his brand on that phone. Other influencers or fitness models of a similar social media reach would encounter all sorts of negativity and trolling. But there are many different layers when it comes to what Smith would cop – 17 supporter bases willing him to fail, a governing body that will fine him without hesitation, imbeciles screaming at him from over the fence, taggers, his former club, and an entire industry of analysis shows designed to pick apart, scold and rein him in. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion With Bailey Smith, it has always been about something else other than football. It has always been about the brand, the monkey mind, the fireside chats, the abs, the smartassery, the sculptural miracle of the hair, the petty offences. However, he has been an outstanding footballer at Geelong. He resembles Fabio and still occasionally kicks like him, but given the frantic, full pelt way his new team seeks to play, the odd stray kick isn't necessarily a bad thing. Watching someone like Scott Pendlebury play footy is like settling into a pair of old slippers. Watching Smith is very different. The hyperactivity of his game can make it seem as though he is constantly on the verge of blowing up, of running out of batteries. You worry about him but there he is, moving like a shovel snouted lizard, notching up his 41st possession, and moving into Brownlow medal favouritism.
Mercury
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mercury
AFL Geelong Cats star Jeremy Cameron drops Bailey Smith truth bomb after big win, Brownlow betting plunge
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Bailey Smith has earned widespread praise from his teammates after another starring role in Geelong's 95-point thrashing of Essendon on Saturday night. Smith has been in the spotlight ever since his high profile move from the Western Bulldogs, fined for some on-field gestures and drawing concern over a 'nose beers' social media post. It all led to the extraordinary move of a face-to-face meeting with AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon during the week. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. After that chat, and a week off for a hamstring issue, the blond midfielder returned with 41 disposals, six clearances and 760 metres gained in the Cats' 23.13 (151) to 8.8 (56) annihilation of the Bombers at the MCG. After the game, Cats spearhead Jeremy Cameron – who booted six goals for the night – was asked on Fox Footy how Smith handled 'being most talked about player in the game'. 'I think he handles it pretty well, doesn't he?' Cameron replied. 'He's got a good spot there at home when he gets away and when he's at the football club, what he's done for us as players has been absolutely amazing. Bailey Smith of the Cats takes a selfie with fans after Geelong's demoltion of Essendon. (Photo by) 'We've got his back right through whatever it is during the week. We'll always have his back and back him in to do what he does. 'He's brilliant out here on the field, but inside the locker room he's even better, which is hard to believe but it's true. 'We look forward to seeing what he can do in the back half of the year.' Smith and his new midfield teammate Max Holmes are forming a devastating partnership around the ground, with the latter contributing 36 possessions, eight clearances and 871 metres gained of his own. Fox Footy were keen to push the 'Dash brothers' tag on the emerging duo and Holmes had a cheeky dig at Smith when asked about him post-match. Smith had 41 disposals against the Bombers. (Photo by) One half of Geelong's 'Dash Brothers', Max Holmes had 36 touches himself.. (Photo by) 'I shook my head because he came off with 39 (disposals) and he wasn't supposed to go back on,' Holmes said. 'Clearly he was thinking about my 40 last week, so he wanted to out do me. Little so and so there. 'He cops it in the media and pretty unfairly a lot of the time. 'It's great to see him just shut out the noise on game day and play good footy. 'With Bailey in the side hopefully we're a better team than last year.' During the week, Dillon reiterated to Smith his importance as a role model after some of his recent acts had overstepped the mark. But his coach Chris Scott felt like it should be viewed in a positive light and nothing to generate negative talk. 'I don't think (Smith) felt like there was focus on him,' Scott said. 'I understand that there were questions around it, but I thought it was more the interest in something that's a bit unusual, like a conversation around the fire that didn't really light very well. 'It's rare for an AFL CEO to do that with a young player. 'We appreciated it, it was a step in the right direction, but maybe I misread it and I don't follow much of that stuff, but I didn't feel like it was a negative that would've put pressure on him. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon (right) met with Bailey Smith at his home last week. (Photo by) 'If there's a bit of a sense that there's some controversy in a negative sense towards him, I don't think we're feeling it, or I'm not seeing it anyway, but sometimes coaches are the last to know.' As is always the case with the 24-year-old Smith, he drew a wide range of comments online after his latest impressive display on the field. One tweet declared: 'Bailey Smith is gonna win the Brownlow isn't he.' Another said: 'Bailey Smith is easily the best player in the league right now, bar none!' A third agreed, saying: 'Bailey Smith might actually be a lock for the Brownlow.' Smith is now a $3 favourite for the Brownlow Medal with Sportsbet, ahead of Adelaide's Jordan Dawson ($3.75) and Collingwood's Nick Daicos ($5.50). Smith had odds as long as $51 with some bookies pre-season. Jeremy Cameron kicked another bag of goals to lead the Coleman Medal. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Yet others weren't quite so convinced about his stats and overall impact. 'Bailey Smith the master of the stat pad. Handballs to someone under pressure to get the handball receive every single time,' came one observation. 'Even though he's so impactful, it feels like Bailey Smith wanders around and gets lost within the game,' suggested another. 'Bailey Smith would average 150 if he could kick,' offered a SuperCoach fan. Sitting second on the ladder, the Cats next face a huge Friday night clash with reigning premiers Brisbane in Geelong on June 20. - with NewsWire Originally published as Geelong teammates support Bailey Smith amid mammoth betting plunge
