While he was a regular in St Kilda’s team, he wasn’t a stand out in a young and exciting Saints outfit.
It wasn’t until the 1966 finals series, five years after his debut that Smith truly arrived as one of the game’s best rovers.
Smith had become the team’s no. 1 rover the previous year, his dogged determination and courageous approach quickly earning him praise both within and outside the club.
Not a particularly prominent Brownlow vote-winner in his first six years, Smith won the award as hot favourite in 1967 after teammate Ian Stewart had won the previous two medals. Smith was a run away leader with 24 votes – seven ahead of second-placed Laurie Dwyer from North Melbourne.
After Darrel Baldock and Ian Stewart departed in successive years, Smith was appointed captain of the club in 1970 and led it to a Grand Final the following season. That same season he finished fifth in the Brownlow voting and won his second club best and fairest.
The Saints narrowly lost to Hawthorn in that famous Grand Final and Smith left the Saints the following year to study for a master’s degree in Western Australia.
While there, he captain-coached WAFL team Subiaco to its first premiership in 49 years.
He returned to St Kilda as an assistant to coach Allan Jeans in 1975 in what was supposed to be a non-playing role.
But injuries to rovers Bruce Duperouzel and Paul Callery resulted in Smith pulling the red, white and black guernsey on for the first time in three years. He played 12 games and earned one final Brownlow vote before calling an end to his 234-game career.
Smith continued as non-playing assistant coach in 1976 until he took over from his long-time friend and mentor Jeans for 1977.
His coaching career was brief and unsuccessful – with the club taking the wooden spoon in his only year in charge.
Smith’s straight down the line approach to his football and personal life have been fondly remembered as one of his greatest traits – to the point that long-time teammate and friend Kevin “Cowboy” Neale claims to have no dirt on the man he has known for almost 50 years.
