Archie Smith
Collingwood
AFL career
89 games119 goals
- Debut
- R1 1897 v STK8 May 1897
- Most recent
- R9 1902 v MEL21 June 1902
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Richmond in the VFA era, Archie Smith established himself as Collingwood's first genuine spearhead and a foundational figure during the club's transition into the VFL. Known affectionately as "Snapper" for his uncanny ability to slot goals from acute angles, Smith was a nimble and hardworking forward who often created opportunities through sheer persistence rather than just aerial dominance. He made history by topping the VFL's goalkicking list in 1898 with 31 goals, a significant tally in an era of low scoring, and led the Magpies' goalkicking on seven separate occasions across both competitions. A member of the club’s 1896 VFA premiership side, Smith played in the inaugural VFL match against St Kilda and featured in the 1901 Grand Final loss to Essendon. Despite playing nine games in 1902, he retired midway through the season, narrowly missing out on participating in the club's first VFL premiership triumph later that year.
Profile
- Born
- 16 Feb 1872
- Died
- 20 July 1961 (aged 89y 154d)
- Height
- 178 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Richmond in the VFA era, Archie Smith established himself as Collingwood's first genuine spearhead and a foundational figure during the club's transition into the VFL. Known affectionately as "Snapper" for his uncanny ability to slot goals from acute angles, Smith was a nimble and hardworking forward who often created opportunities through sheer persistence rather than just aerial dominance. He made history by topping the VFL's goalkicking list in 1898 with 31 goals, a significant tally in an era of low scoring, and led the Magpies' goalkicking on seven separate occasions across both competitions. A member of the club’s 1896 VFA premiership side, Smith played in the inaugural VFL match against St Kilda and featured in the 1901 Grand Final loss to Essendon. Despite playing nine games in 1902, he retired midway through the season, narrowly missing out on participating in the club's first VFL premiership triumph later that year.