Bert Smedley

Recruited from Castlemaine in the Bendigo Football League, Bert Smedley was an immediate sensation at Junction Oval who produced one of the most prolific debut seasons in VFL history. The dangerous forward booted 50 goals in his first year, including a haul of six in just his second match and a bag of eight against North Melbourne, quickly establishing himself as a potent focal point in the Saints' attack. His 1928 campaign is best remembered for a controversial incident against Melbourne, where he played on and kicked the match-winning goal after the final bell because the field umpire failed to hear the siren, surviving a subsequent protest from the Demons to secure the four points. Despite his blistering start to league football, Smedley's VFL career was surprisingly brief; he played just a handful of games in 1929 before crossing to Prahran in the VFA and later captain-coaching Corowa in the Ovens and Murray League.