How Bailey Smith will ignite Geelong’s midfield after requesting trade from Western Bulldogs
Publicly, Geelong says Bailey Smith hasn’t nominated the club as his next AFL home. But as JAY CLARK reports, the Cats already have grand plans for Smith to spearhead their next era.
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Geelong will offer Bailey Smith the chance to secure a prime onball role next season after spending the bulk of his career at the kennel on the fringe of the midfield.
The Cats are expected to inject Smith into their onball mix as part of a move which will give the club more flexibility with star ballwinners Patrick Dangerfield and Max Holmes in 2025.
Smith craved a larger onball role at Western Bulldogs but spent the bulk of 2023 playing forward due to the strength of the Dogs’ ballwinners including superstars Tom Liberatore and Marcus Bontempelli.
Smith, 23, requested a trade on Monday with the Cats set to offer up their first-round draft pick and haggle over a sweetener in exchange for the man taken pick number seven in the 2018 draft.
The trade will represent a fresh start and trigger a change of role for Smith who has made it clear he wanted to spend more time playing in the centre square at the top level.
Smith spent 56 per cent of his playing time in 2023 in a forward role according to Champion Data, but has shown he is more than capable around the clearances averaging 3.5 a game including 10 takeaways against Carlton in Round 9 last year.
While the Cats will be cautious with him at the start of the new season after a year on the sidelines, the grand plan is to use him as a dynamic clearance winner and a goal kicking threat in blue and white.
Geelong is confident Smith’s knee injury won’t inhibit his sizzling lateral movement upon his return.
His electric run from the middle would give coach Chris Scott another onball weapon alongside Holmes who is headed for his first best-and-fairest win after an outstanding season.
Smith’s arrival will also help alleviate some of the pressure on out-of-contract veteran midfielder Dangerfield who will turn 35 next season and has battled repeat soft tissue injuries in recent years.
Veteran playmaker Cam Guthrie, 32, has also been hobbled by achilles problems, playing just 10 games over the course of the past two seasons.
It means the Smith trade will help rejuvenate the Geelong engine room alongside 22-year-old Holmes with hopes the pair can form a dual onball threat for the next decade at GMHBA Stadium.
In particular, the pair’s running power and flexibility will be major weapons for Geelong as Holmes and Smith both boast impressive speed and endurance from an inside midfield role.
The move to future-proof the Geelong midfield brigade is a signal the Cats have no plans to drop down from the top of the ladder anytime soon after a remarkable run over the last two decades.
The club will play its 13th preliminary final in 18 years next weekend including nine in the past 14 under Scott, who has already guided the club to two flags in 2011 and 2022.
Scott said on AFL 360 on Monday night the Cats had “a lot of balls in the air at the moment” in regards to the club’s exchange period plans and was adamant he was “not privy” to Andrew Mackie’s latest discussions with the Dogs or Smith’s manager Robbie D’Orazio from Connors Sports.
The Cats were brilliant in the middle in the qualifying final win over Port Adelaide last weekend, winning the clearance battle by four.
Despite concerns about Geelong’s midfield, the club has lost the clearance count only once (against North Melbourne since Round 18).
Originally published as How Bailey Smith will ignite Geelong’s midfield after requesting trade from Western Bulldogs
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