Winchelsea footballer Edward James Smith remembered as a loyal friend and for his cheeky, generous nature

An immensely popular Winchelsea footballer has been remembered for his cheeky nature who loved acting, kicking the miracle goal and KFC. Watch the livestream of his memorial service.

Smith was a very popular teammate at the Blues. Picture: Winchelsea Blues.

A Winchelsea footballer who died just days before Christmas has been remembered as a “true all-rounder”, who not only excelled in sport but had a love of acting in his school years.

Edward James Smith, 21, died on December 22 in his home town of Yackandandah, where the family moved to in 2005.

Born on March 21, 2002 in Wangaratta, Ed was a beloved son of Ross and Clara, proud brother of Max and a loving partner of Bella.

At a memorial service on Tuesday at the Yackandandah Public Hall, attended by more than 500 people, Ross was dressed in the same shirt he wore when he enjoyed his final conversation with his late son.

“One of the last words I exchanged with Ed was in our bathroom as we passed briefly at the door, he said: ‘Nice shirt, Dad’,” Ross recalled.

“Some people live long unfulfilled lives, some people live short, fulfilled lives.

“Ed was definitely the latter.

“He gave and gave and gave until he had nothing more to give.

“A cliche, which I’ve hated in the past but now becomes so appropriate, only the good die young.”

Ed Smith was a crowd favourite with the Winchelsea Blues. Picture: Hannah Perry.

Ross said his “beautiful boy” Ed had a smile which would light up a room, an aura which drew people in and he would bound through the door whenever he returned home.

“It’s a pretty hard thing for parents to do, a pretty hard thing for me to stand up here and talk about our beautiful boy, ” Ross said.

“He was a beautiful kid, we’ll miss him enormously.

“It’s been a really tough week.

“We are heartbroken today and have been for a number of days.

“The numbers here today reflect how popular he was and what he might have meant to all of you.

“We will remember and honour our amazing son and brother as long as we walk this earth.”

Ross recalled his phone going “ballistic” with messages as news spread that Ed had died on December 22: “That’s a day we’ll never forget.”

Smith was a very popular teammate at the Blues. Picture: Winchelsea Blues.

He said Ed was immensely popular to the end, a loyal friend and proud member of the “Yack Boys” and the “Geelong crew”, after moving to the region to study sports management and business at Deakin University.

He would join Winchelsea Blues in 2022, impressing fans with his silky skills and “big tank”.

“He was cheeky, he was charming. Unique, caring, considerate, genuine and a bit quirky as well,” he said.

“Infectious, and a little crazy.

“One of a kind, one in a million and one of the nice ones.

“He really was simply our beautiful Ed. A good looking rooster with a dose of charm.

“Ed was very very special to us. He left us with beautiful memories which we will cherish forever.

“We will think of you every day when we fall asleep, when we wake up and every moment in between.

“You will always be beside us.”

Smith died just days before Christmas. Picture: Winchelsea Blues.

Meanwhile, uncle Ross McDonald said his nephew, otherwise known as Ed, Smithy, “Eddie Everywhere” and “Wiz-Ed”, was loved for his gentle, generous and playful nature who had a weakness for KFC, according to his closest mates.

He said Ed was a “true all-rounder”, who not only had a love for Aussie Rules, soccer and cricket but acting too, starring as a deaf mute in a school production.

A young Ed was perfectly cast with an innate ability to communicate without words.

He would also win an A Grade cricket premiership with Yackandandah, with a broken stump on display at the service, reportedly shattered after one of Ed’s deliveries.

Although Max had reportedly joked the white ants had got to the stump first.

However, it was in football where Ed truly shone, once invited to join the Sydney Swans Academy, and later becoming a club ambassador to tour local schools with senior players.

“They were blown away by his maturity and ability to connect with senior players and kids alike, he would make the perfect AFL development officer,” McDonald said of an email from the Swans to the Smith family.

McDonald said Ed would later become a “crowd and club favourite” at Winch – famously referring to the club as the “Winnie Blues” – who “won the respect and admiration of all he touched”.

He also had an encyclopaedic memory of footy stats, knew a lot about dinosaurs and adored his grandmother Jan, who would rarely miss any of his local footy games.

Ed Smith died at Yackandandah on December 22. Picture: Hannah Perry.

Des Lonergan said the key things he took from Ed’s private funeral several days ago was that the 21-year-old was the life of the party and he was a good listener.

“If he was talking to you, he was talking to you,” Lonergan said.

“You had his undivided attention.”

Close friend and Yackandandah teammate Liam Williams said “Eddo” was the “right amount of strange”.

“He had a contagious aura of happiness who had you smiling anytime you were around him,” Williams said.

“His cheeky smile and quick comments would have anyone laughing, and he was able to make any room and situation he walked into a better, happier place.

“Around Eddo you never felt alone or ignored, he made you feel seen and important, he put your feelings in front of his and he listened to your concerns and problems.

“He didn’t tease or pick on anyone in his jokes, unless he knew you well.

“In which case you were in for many quick witted comments, but these comments always came from a good place.”

Winchelsea Football Club president Dan Greskie said Ed had changed the Blues for the better: “Your legacy will last forever.”

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Winchelsea Football Club farewells a “crowd favourite”

The late Ed Smith, a popular Winchelsea footballer who died just days before Christmas, will be farewelled today in his home town of Yackandandah.

In a statement to this publication, Ross, Clara and Max Smith said the “outpouring of love” from the Blues community would always be “treasured”.

“They have been amazing in supporting us through this tragedy while celebrating Ed at every turn,” the family said.

“We are so proud of our beautiful son and brother.”

A memorial ceremony will be held for Ed Smith on January 2 in Yackandandah. Picture: Winchelsea Blues.

In a further Facebook post last week, the club said Smith was a “high quality” person with skills to match who could hit a target in any situation.

“His ability to be able to follow up to the next contest and find the football again is something that we all admired and was one of many things that made him such a valuable team member,” the club said.

Smith’s memorial service will be held at the Yackandandah Public Hall from 11am, watch the livestream.

Originally published as Winchelsea footballer Edward James Smith remembered as a loyal friend and for his cheeky, generous nature