AFL star Bailey Smith has been relaxing in Sydney after recently asking the Western Bulldogs for a trade..
The 23-year-old footballer enjoyed a wild evening in Bondi on Thursday.
Recently single, Bailey was spotted sipping cocktails and shots with friends at Bikini Bar, surrounded by a group of women.
The AFL superstar was dressed in a blue shirt and baggy jeans and his signature blonde haircut was perfectly coiffed.
She completed her look with white sneakers with black and orange details.
The group then walked to North Bondi Fish for dinner, where Bailey caught the attention of two other women, with whom she chatted and drank one of their drinks.
Last week, Smith officially told the Western Bulldogs club he wants to be traded, with the likes of Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood said to be interested in securing his services next season.
Smith, who starred during the Bulldogs’ run to the 2021 grand final, was forced to sit out the entire 2024 campaign after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in training in December.
AFL star Bailey Smith enjoyed a wild evening in Bondi on Thursday
Newly single Bailey was spotted sipping cocktails and shots with friends at Bikini Bar, surrounded by a group of women.
The 23-year-old’s future has been a constant topic of conversation, and as the season progressed it became clearer that he wanted out of Whitten Oval.
As the Bulldogs began exit meetings on Monday following Friday night’s elimination final loss to the Hawks, the club confirmed Smith had requested a transfer.
“Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith has informed the club of his desire to seek a trade this off-season,” a statement read on Monday.
Last week, Smith officially told the Western Bulldogs club he wants to be traded, with the likes of Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood said to be interested in securing his services next season.
The 23-year-old has yet to name a favourite club.
‘Given Bailey’s immense talent, age and proven ability to impact matches, the club will work diligently to ensure he is fairly compensated throughout the process.’
Smith has played 103 AFL games since being drafted by the Bulldogs in 2018.
Experts believe it will most likely end up in Geelong, but if it does, there could be controversy awaiting it.
Bailey had the women laughing out loud as he chatted with them on the balcony.
At one point he took a sip of one of the lady’s Aperol Spritz.
If signed by the Cats to play under coach Chris Scott, Smith’s ambassadorship deal with Cotton On will be closely scrutinised given the clothing brand is also the AFL club’s main sponsor.
Veteran AFL journalist Jon Ralph questioned how potential third-party deals might play out for Smith, given he has been an ambassador since 2022 and is “a brand in his own right, as well as a social media influencer”.
Ralph’s Fox Footy colleague Jay Clark added that the AFL would “want to see consistency in past earnings” compared to what Smith could potentially earn under new contractual arrangements at Geelong.
The AFL superstar was dressed in a blue shirt and baggy jeans and his signature blonde bob was perfectly coiffed.
Experts believe it is most likely to end up in Geelong, but if it does, it could be surrounded by controversy.
If signed by the Cats to play under coach Chris Scott, Smith’s ambassadorship deal with Cotton On will be closely scrutinised given the clothing brand is also the AFL club’s main sponsor.
Smith made his AFL debut for the Bulldogs in 2019 against the Swans and quickly built a reputation as one of the competition’s elite midfielders due to his athleticism.
This comes after Smith quietly split from girlfriend Gemma Dawkins earlier this year.
Bailey first confirmed their romance in May 2022 and made their public debut as a couple at Derby Day 2023 in Melbourne.
The private couple have kept their relationship relatively secret ever since, but are now believed to have gone their separate ways.
They appear to have unfollowed each other on Instagram and Bailey last shared a photo with Gemma in February during a romantic trip to New York.
Bailey is believed to have split from his girlfriend of two years, Gemma Dawkins (pictured on Derby Day 2024)