Michael Smith

Michael Smith burst onto the VFL scene as a promising father-son recruit—his father Stan played for the club in the 1940s—and immediately made his presence felt by booting five goals on debut against Collingwood in 1977. A tall, athletic centre half-forward who stood 191cm, Smith offered a dynamic target in attack and showed flashes of genuine brilliance during his time at the Lakeside Oval. However, his tenure at South Melbourne is often remembered for the bizarre zoning controversy that derailed his 1981 season; it was revealed he had obtained his playing permit using his grandmother’s South Melbourne address while actually residing in St Kilda’s zone, an infraction that resulted in a massive fine for the club and a temporary loss of premiership points. Following the fallout, he was cleared to Richmond mid-season but did not add to his senior tally of 32 games, eventually moving to South Australia where he forged a successful second career as a premiership player with West Adelaide.