AFL great Adam Cooney goes scorched earth on Bailey Smith

A former Brownlow medallist had a strong message for Bailey Smith if the superstar wants to continue his AFL career with the Cats.

Adam Cooney (right) had some advice for Bailey Smith. Photos: Instagram/News Corp

Geelong superstar Bailey Smith has been told to “pull his head in” after his Mad Monday antics drew stinging criticism.

Smith had an outstanding debut season on the field with the Cats, earning a first All-Australian nod and finishing runner-up in the club’s best and fairest count.

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But he also had a series of missteps off the field, including shouting expletives at a female photographer at Geelong training and making a series of eyebrow-raising moves on social media.

The 24-year-old then became the headline act at the Cats’ end of season celebrations last Monday, an annual affair when the players do their best to arrive in the most imaginative costumes possible.

Bailey Smith (right) had an outstanding season on the pitch. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Smith’s decision to turn up as a character from a Brad Pitt movie was relatively pedestrian, but his regular Instagram posts from the day – including an alleged homophobic reference to Brokeback Mountain – led to widespread condemnation.

The club reacted by releasing a statement on Wednesday that these Mad Monday parties are now banned moving forward.

Adam Cooney, a larrikin character himself who won a Brownlow Medal with the Bulldogs back in 2008, believes Smith is risking his contract with Geelong if he doesn’t temper his ways.

But has had a number of controversies off it. Photo: Instagram

“I think Geelong did the right thing (cancelling Mad Monday),” Cooney said on SEN.

“I think Bailey Smith overstepped the mark with the comments that were deemed to be homophobic.

“I think that was a tipping point again for Geelong.

“Bailey Smith has got to be careful. If he doesn’t pull his head in, in 12 months’ time he’s not going to be at Geelong.

“We’ll be talking about Bailey Smith in the trade period in 2026 because he is so high profile, so even the smallest thing (could be a tipping point).”

Cooney referenced Smith’s Geelong teammate Tyson Stengle, who has had his own issues away from footy, but has a much lower profile than the blond star.

Smith has the highest Instagram following among AFL players and often makes the front and back pages of newspapers, including for his romantic links with fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow.

“Tyson Stengle has had a couple of faux pas out the front of Geelong nightclubs,” Cooney said.

“He’s of a lower profile so that gets swept under the rug a bit. It’s in the news for a day.

Adam Cooney won the Brownlow Medal back in 2008. Photo: News Limited

“Everything Bailey does is magnified by a hundred. He’s getting just a little bit too big for his boots at the moment.

“Some of the comments that he’s been making, even walking into Mad Monday saying ‘I haven’t sunk p**s for a couple of days, I’m ready to go get in to it’.

“Like, he wouldn’t have said that four years ago.

“He just needs to temper it a little bit because (coach) Chris Scott gives his players an amazing amount of freedom, independence and responsibility.

“But if you don’t do the right thing by him, you’re gone.

“I just don’t want to see it go pear-shaped.”