Ron Smith
Collingwood
AFL career
48 games1 goals
- Debut
- R2 1941 v HAW3 May 1941
- Most recent
- R16 1947 v MEL9 Aug 1947
Stats
Bio
Recruited from Abbotsford, Ron Smith was the eldest of three brothers to represent Collingwood, eventually realising a family dream by playing alongside his sibling Stan in the seniors. A rugged and aggressive defender who typically manned the back pocket or half-back flank, Smith was known for his physical approach and an attacking mindset that saw him frequently dash from defence. His playing prime was severely curtailed by World War II service as a sapper with the Royal Australian Engineers, which restricted him to sporadic appearances while on leave and caused him to miss the entire 1944 season. Although he found it difficult to reclaim a permanent senior spot in the post-war era, Smith displayed exemplary club loyalty by staying on to captain the reserves for three seasons, retiring as a respected leader at Victoria Park.
Profile
- Full name
- Ron A. Smith
- Born
- 06 May 1917
- Died
- 19 Jan 1998 (aged 80y 258d)
- Height
- 180 cm
- Weight
- 81 kg
Teams
Family
- Brother:Stan Smith
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Abbotsford, Ron Smith was the eldest of three brothers to represent Collingwood, eventually realising a family dream by playing alongside his sibling Stan in the seniors. A rugged and aggressive defender who typically manned the back pocket or half-back flank, Smith was known for his physical approach and an attacking mindset that saw him frequently dash from defence. His playing prime was severely curtailed by World War II service as a sapper with the Royal Australian Engineers, which restricted him to sporadic appearances while on leave and caused him to miss the entire 1944 season. Although he found it difficult to reclaim a permanent senior spot in the post-war era, Smith displayed exemplary club loyalty by staying on to captain the reserves for three seasons, retiring as a respected leader at Victoria Park.