Michael Smith (Australian footballer)

Michael Smith
Personal information
Full name	Michael Smith
Date of birth	28 April 1959
Original team	South Districts
Height/Weight	191 cm / 88 kg
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1977-1981	South Melbourne	32 (43)
1 Playing statistics to end of 1981 season .

Michael Smith (born 28 April 1959) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Smith played his football as a centre half-forward.^[1] He kicked five goals on his South Melbourne debut, in round 10 of the 1977 VFL season, against Collingwood.^[2] 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.^[3] This decision was later reversed.

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

References

1. ^ Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785. 
2. ^ AFL Tables: Michael Smith
3. ^ The Age,"South's turn to lose points", 22 June 1981, p. 26