From Cleve to the big stage, local Bella Smith is ready to show EP girls the way
From using trees as goalposts to a phone call from Eddie McGuire, nothing was going to stop this Eyre Peninsula local from chasing her dream.
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The Eyre Peninsula is home to many AFL and SANFL superstars including Shaun Burgoyne, Eddie Betts and Graham Johncock — to name a few.
And in the latest WAFL draft, the EP has a female flying the flag for the sport with Verran’s very own Bella Smith selected by Collingwood.
The 18-year-old said she has been “off in the clouds” for the past week after her selection which was followed by a phone call from Collingwood president Eddie McGuire.
“I’m used to seeing him on TV so the fact he was on the other side of the phone was pretty crazy,” Smith laughed.
With Collingwood passing on their final pick in the draft, they were able to secure the 182cm disposal machine the very next day allowing Smith to live out her childhood dream.
“I was up in the clouds when the coach rang me and said that I was in the team, it’s just coming down now,” she said.
Growing up in Verran and attending Cleve Area School, Smith said she was always drawn to the sport, even from a young age.
“I always played with my older and younger brothers as well as having a kick with the boys at school and using the trees as goals,” Smith said.
Many Eastern Eyre Association players may remember Smith taking the field for Ports as a youngster, becoming the envy of every girl who wanted to be out there too, playing the sport.
“The Ports Football club definitely supported me, they didn’t see me as a girl,” Smith said.
“They just saw me as a normal player and that was the best thing for me because it has made me a stronger player.”
However once Smith reached her teenage years, she was no longer able to compete. The league had health concerns for Smith as she was starting the line up against men.
Refusing to let her dream die, Smith went on to captain an under-15 state competition before playing in Norwood’s under-17s in 2017 and 2018 before moving down to Adelaide and debuting for Norwood’s league team last year.
While Smith hasn’t modelled her game after any particular player in the men or women’s league, she said Collingwood coach Steve Symonds saw her as following in the footsteps of Jordan Roughead, cousin of Hawthorn legend Jarryd Roughead.
“Steve said he really likes the way Jordy plays and said he can see me growing my game into a similar type of way.”
Now with an AFL debut not far from her grasp, the 18-year-old is one of the five teenagers who will don the black and white with pre-season training set to begin in November.
“I do feel proud to say that I do come from such a good area and proud to be that person for young girls on the Eyre Peninsula,” Smith said.
“Go give it crack and if you need to make some sacrifices do it, because it will pay off.”