Bailey Smith, Geelong's prized off-season acquisition, was nothing short of spectacular in his debut at the Cattery.
In fact, he was everything they could've imagined and more.
They say you don't forget your debut game, and whilst this wasn't Smith's first debut, it may be just as important to both him and the Geelong fandom.
It had been over 550 days since Smith had played in an AFL game when he suited up in the blue and white hoops in what was a demolition of their interstate counterpart, Fremantle. He wasted no time reminding the competition of why many pegged him as a potential Brownlow candidate in his young career and had him battling in the best young player arguments alongside household names Sam Walsh, Connor Rozee and Zak Butters.
In his debut game in front of his new home crowd, the scintillating wingman recorded 32 disposals, seven clearances, five tackles, a whopping 693m gained and a goal to put the cherry on top.
To anyone watching it was evident what Smith brought to the game for the Cats. Pace, dare and the ability to break lines. Having so much time away from the game allowed the former Bulldog to work on his body, and that has clearly paid dividends.
For much of the game, he looked unable to be tackled and Fremantle were battling a demi-god as their efforts to bring him to ground proved pitiful time and time again.
Outside of Max Holmes and on occasions, Patrick Dangerfield, Geelong have lacked speed around the contest. Bringing the mulleted superstar to Kardinia Park fills that need. We would go as far as to say that he might be the missing piece in Geelong's premiership pursuit.
Throughout his career to date, the 24-year-old has always been an excellent gut runner and accumulator of the football. Lamented by his kicking, he has always felt right on the cusp of truly breaking out. And we know he is capable.
It was only in 2021 - Smith's third AFL season - that he took the finals stage by storm as the Western Bulldogs chased their second flag in six years. This was highlighted by his four-goal, 23-touch game against Port Adelaide in the preliminary final.
Despite the heartbreak during the big dance, the blistering wingmen would carry the momentum of his finals campaign into the 2022 season. The former Sandringham Dragon would go on to average 29 touches through 17 games, an uptick on the 23 he averaged in 2021.
Once an exciting prospect, Smith is now entering his eventual age-25 season and about to reach his prime. For what had been an aging and slow Geelong midfield, his newfound maturity and on-field qualities were sorely needed for the Cats.
In 2024, Geelong's most frequent midfield group included Rhys Stanley, an aging but still prolific Patrick Dangerfield, a young Tanner Bruhn still finding his footing at AFL level, Brandan Parfitt, who was recently delisted, and Tom Atkins. Now with the addition of Smith and the continued surge of Max Holmes, Geelong is boasting one of the fastest and dynamic one-two punches in the league.
Importantly, Smith fills a lot of different roles within the team. On that weekend, he only recorded 36% centre bounce attendances while covering the ground off the wing and half forward flank. His ability to be a goal threat and inside 50 contributor brings another dynamic to the Cats forward line that has lost the talents of Tom Hawkins over the summer break.
He led the Cats for score involvements and had six inside 50s on top of that. Having him in the side opens new avenues to the goals and importantly takes that burden away from other players who were overtaxed in the roles they were playing - allowing them to thrive in more acute roles that highlight their strengths.
And that has been the hallmark of Geelong during the modern era; having players play to their strengths and specific roles.
The speedster's line-breaking and everlasting motor were sorely missed against their notorious bogey matchup in St Kilda. In a game that featured unrelenting pressure and a need to move the ball quickly, the absence of their new recruit was even more evident.
With Smith returning against the Lions, a win would help Geelong in their hunt for yet another premiership. With the ex-Dog at the helm and in that golden age bracket of 24 to 27-year-olds, Geelong may fancy themselves as premiership favourites.
With an impressive start to the 2025 season, the Cattery will have keen eyes watching over to see if the Cotton On icon can elevate the GMHBA Stadium residents to premiership victors.
