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AFL 2025

Opinion

Michael Gleeson Sports columnist October 22, 2025 — 5.55pm

If you thought Geelong had a Bailey Smith problem, you were wrong. It’s you who has a Bailey Smith problem. My goodness, did you not see the way he played this year?

He was an outrageous success. Not perfect mind you, but so, so close. Just a nudge here and there and voila, perfect. Nothing to fret about at all.

And his coach Chris Scott is right: Bailey Smith the football player was an outrageous success on the field for much of the year (let’s not look too closely at his grand final).

But Geelong didn’t just recruit a footballer, they recruited a brand. And Brand Bailey Smith has done damage to Brand Geelong. Though it has done wonders for Brand Bailey Smith.

Scott prefers to coach th

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