AFLW 2024: Geelong recruit Bella Smith on her trade move from Brisbane

Bella Smith not only ran into a close family relative, she also bumped into her old neigbour when she checked into the club last week. Plus, she opens up on on why she left Brisbane.

Bella Smith was traded to Geelong during the off-season. Picture: Geelong Cats

New Geelong recruit Bella Smith ran into some familiar faces when she checked into the Cattery last week.

The most unexpected of those was her grandfather, a construction worker who was there on the job at GMHBA Stadium.

Smith, who made the move from Brisbane during the AFLW trade period, also bumped into her old neighbour from back in Warrnambool, Geelong AFL draftee George Stevens.

“It was so funny just running into him (my grandfather), like ‘what are you doing here?’” Smith chuckled.

“Seeing some familiar faces around the club, people from back in Warrnambool it’s nice. I’ve seen more family in this one day than I have in the last couple of years.”

“Everyone is pumped, (my family) are all deep down Geelong fans so I think everyone is quite excited that I’m joining.”

Bella Smith joined the Cats during the trade period. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

She also met up with a couple of Geelong players abroad.

While the 20-year-old was gallivanting in Europe, she spent time in Ireland with her former Lions teammates – and housemates – Orla O’Dwyer and Jennifer Dunne.

With O’Dwyer being from Tipperary, the group caught up with Cats breakout star Aisling Moloney and 2023 debutant Anna-Rose Kennedy who hail from the same Irish county.

And Smith may be trading her Lions Irish housemates for Irish Cats when she moves down to Geelong in late March.

“I met the two Irish girls just recently when I went to Ireland, Aishling and Anna-Rose, so I think they were keen to look at a place together so those are the things I’m trying to work to at the moment,” Smith said.

Smith met up with Anna-Rose Kennedy and Aishling Moloney in Ireland.

MAKING THE MOVE

Smith’s first season in the AFLW was wiped out by an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

The contested midfielder was available for selection from round three last season and managed to make her AFLW debut in round nine for the Lions.

But she was straight out the next week and watched Brisbane’s breakthrough premiership win from the sidelines.

Smith knew cracking into the Lions’ senior side would be an uphill battle and she told her manager she would consider a move to another club.

Geelong was among the clubs to reach out and she was already keen before heading down to check out the facilities.

“I didn’t meet with too many other clubs but I think the main thing for me was even before going down and meeting Dan and everyone else, I’m from Warrnambool originally so I have heaps of family down here, so it’s almost home away from home for me,” Smith said.

“So that kind of sparked an interest already and I was probably most interested in Victoria out of anywhere just because of that family connection and then once going down and seeing the facilities and meeting Dan and (list manager Ben Waller) and some of the other girls I kind of knew from there that that was where I wanted to go.

Ella Smith (left) played one game for the Lions. Picture: Zak Simmonds

HUNGRY FOR OPPORTUNITY

It is agonising for any player to watch their teammates achieve the ultimate from the outer.

But Smith believes the experience was invaluable at the Lions and will spur her on for the rest of her AFLW career.

Smith prides herself on her contested game, competitiveness and manic defensive pressure and Cats assistant football boss Brett Johnson touted her as a potential replacement for the retired renee Garing.

She may find it tough to crack into Geelong’s prestigious on-ball brigade but she is hungry for opportunity and will put selection pressure on the much-improved Cats line-up.

“I wouldn’t take any of it back. Even though it was super tough not getting the call-up and not playing, I tried to learn as much as I could from the situation,” Smith said.

“I think it has made me more motivated and more driven going in this season than anything and I’m just so excited to be on this new adventure and keen to get stuck into it and play some consistent footy. “

“Trying to crack into a dominant side like Brisbane after round one was super difficult but I’m feeling good and found my form again eventually as I was playing more games.

“My main goal is to just be consistently playing and just be consistently in the side, that’s honestly all I want and that’s the main reason why I’ve looked to move to a different team just thinking that I need that fresh opportunity and fresh perspective. That’s all I want, I just want to be playing AFLW consistently at the end of the day.”

Originally published as AFLW 2024: Geelong recruit Bella Smith on her trade move from Brisbane