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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | 19 December 1927 |
| Recruited from | West Adelaide, (SANFL) |
| Height and weight | 175cm / 77 kg |
| Death | 21 April 1985 |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 1, 1948, Geelong vs. Fitzroy, at Brunswick St Oval |
| Team(s) | West Adelaide (1945-1947)
Geelong (1948-1958)
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| ¹ Statistics to end of 1958 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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Bernie Smith (19 December 1927 - 21 April 1985)[1] was an Australian rules footballer in the SANFL and VFL, who is perhaps best remembered as one of the greatest back pockets in the history of the game.
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Smith commenced his career with West Adelaide in the South Australian Football League as a 16 year old in 1945. Playing primarily as a centre, Smith was an outstanding player.
He won the Best and Fairest award for West Adelaide in 1947, the same year that he played in their Grand Final triumph over Norwood, in which he was widely acknowledged as the best player afield.[1]
Also in 1947 Smith represented South Australia at the interstate carnival, attracting the attention of the Victorian club, Geelong.
Smith was recruited to Geelong for the 1948 season and played centreman during his first few years in the (then) Victorian Football League.
Moved to the back pocket by coach Reg Hickey in 1951 he won both the club best and fairest award and the Brownlow Medal that same season, while for good measure he was among the Cats' best in their grand final defeat of Essendon.
In combination with the dashing Fullback Bruce Morrison he created a sturdy defensive wall, and started the forward moves going again with his precision kicking. Under their leadership the Geelong defence was so strong that rival coaches had to turn their minds to finding ways through to goal.
"Bernie Smith had a big smile, fair curly hair and looked like a country boy playing a country game of football. It seemed, however, that everywhere that Bernie went the ball was sure to go.
"He was immensely popular around the club and his adopted city of Geelong."[2]
In 1996 Smith was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alan Ruthven |
Brownlow Medal winner 1951 |
Succeeded by Roy Wright |
| Preceded by Geoff Williams |
Carji Greeves Medal winner 1951 |
Succeeded by Norm Sharp |
| Preceded by Lindsay White |
Geelong Football Club captain 1950 |
Succeeded by Fred Flanagan |
| Preceded by Fred Flanagan |
Geelong Football Club captain 1954 |
Succeeded by Bob Davis |
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