Michael Smith

Who is Michael Smith?

Michael Smith is a former Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League.

Smith played his football as a centre half-forward. He kicked five goals on his South Melbourne debut, in round 10 of the 1977 VFL season, against Collingwood. During the 1981 season, Smith was cleared to Richmond but wouldn't play a senior VFL game at the club.

He was embroiled in controversy in 1981 when it was discovered that he had lied on his permit to play for South Melbourne. The discrepancy was in his address. He gave his grandmother's South Melbourne address on the permit but in reality lived in Caulfied, which was in St Kilda's zone. As a result South Melbourne were fined heavily and the ladder was altered, to give Hawthorn the four points they missed out on when they played South Melbourne earlier in the season, when Smith made two appearances before joining Richmond. This decision was later reversed.

His father, Stan Smith, was also a South Melbourne footballer. Jim McShane, his great grandfather, played for Geelong.