- Bailey Smith says he outplayed Western Bulldogs
- He says he is trying to fall in love with the sport again.
- He insists he still loves the Western Bulldogs club
AFL star Bailey Smith has broken his silence on his recent trade request and the reasons why he wanted to move away from the Western Bulldogs.
The footballer, 23, officially told the Western Bulldogs club in early September that he wants to be transferred, with the likes of Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood said to be interested in securing his services next season.
Smith, who starred in the Bulldogs’ run to the 2021 grand final, was forced to sit out the entire 2024 campaign after tearing his ACL in training in December.
Now the midfielder has revealed why he wants to leave.
“I still love the club, that’s what people forget,” Smith said at the EJ Whitten Grand Final Legends Lunch.
‘But there is a level at which you outgrow a place or simply need a new change for whatever reason. I still love them, they are still my companions. I won’t go into it too much.
“I feel like I would be doing a disservice to the player I want to be and the person I want to be by staying in the same environment, but we’ll see.”
There are rumors that Bailey will end up at Geelong, but the youngster’s manager said things are still up in the air.
Bailey Smith (pictured) revealed she is over the Bulldogs but still loves the club
Smith (pictured) has been letting his hair down in Sydney after recently requesting a trade from the Western Bulldogs.
“I might kind of resent all the headlines I’ve had, all the not-so-good things I’ve done, or the pressure that comes with the way you have to look, all that kind of shit, but it’s also made me learn.” . value less superficial things,” Bailey said.
‘The whole AFL player image thing and just learning to love the game. I just go out and have fun during the week and learn to love football at its best. I kick soccer with my dad and try to fall in love with the game again because I fell out of love with it for a while.
“And it takes an injury to really love him and miss him again because everything that’s going on can cloud it.”
“I’ve probably struggled with that (attention) because, first and foremost, I love football and that’s what I want to be known for.”
Smith officially told the Western Bulldogs club that he wants to be traded in early September.
“And people see all the shit I post on Instagram and all that, the only thing that gets me up in the morning and gets me excited is the game itself and the training.
“That’s my mission in the next 10 to 12 years: to really leave my legacy… that’s getting too deep… but to be more football-oriented than anything that’s been released so far.”
Smith has played 103 AFL games since being drafted by the Bulldogs in 2018.