Shaun Smith
Encyclopedia
Shaun Smith is a former Australian rules football
er in the VFL/AFL.
Originally from the Ainslie Football Club
in the Australian Capital Territory
, but recruited from Werribee and debuting in the Australian Football League
in 1987, Smith is best known for his incredible leap and ability to take spectacular marks or speckies
.
His high leaping play enabled him to hold down a key position
whilst being only 184 cm and is sometimes compared to Russell Robertson
.
Smith debuted with the North Melbourne Football Club
in 1987 and was delisted due to a string of injuries at the end of 1992 after 47 games and 38 goals.
By far Smith's most successful and consistent season was at the Melbourne Football Club
in 1995.
His 1995 Mark of the Year
, a chest mark over teammate Garry Lyon
in the goalsquare against the Brisbane Bears
at the Gabba
, was named the Mark of the Century, superseding Gary Ablett Sr's famous, though controversial mark a year earlier. In the same year he managed a career best 51 goals.
Injury
plagued the rest of his career at the Demons until he was finally delisted in 1998, finishing his career at the Werribee Football Club
in 2004.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er in the VFL/AFL.
Originally from the Ainslie Football Club
Ainslie Football Club
Ainslie Football Club is a semi-professional Australian rules football club based in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.The club, formed in 1927 and play now in the North East Australian Football League, won its first permiership in 1929....
in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, but recruited from Werribee and debuting in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
in 1987, Smith is best known for his incredible leap and ability to take spectacular marks or speckies
Specky
A spectacular mark is a term for a type of mark in Australian rules football...
.
His high leaping play enabled him to hold down a key position
Key position
In the sport of Australian rules football, a "key position" refers to positions on the ground that are considered vital to the structure of a team.Key position players make up what is known as the "spine" of a team...
whilst being only 184 cm and is sometimes compared to Russell Robertson
Russell Robertson
Russell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....
.
Smith debuted with the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in 1987 and was delisted due to a string of injuries at the end of 1992 after 47 games and 38 goals.
By far Smith's most successful and consistent season was at the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in 1995.
His 1995 Mark of the Year
Mark of the Year
The annual Mark of the Year competition is a sporting award that celebrates each season's best mark...
, a chest mark over teammate Garry Lyon
Garry Lyon
Garry Peter Lyon is a former professional Australian rules football player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in...
in the goalsquare against the Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
at the Gabba
Gabba
- Music :* Gabber , a subgenre of techno in electronic music.* Gabba , a tribute band covering the pop songs of ABBA in the punk style of The Ramones* Gabba Front Berlin, a 1990s German techno band of gabba music...
, was named the Mark of the Century, superseding Gary Ablett Sr's famous, though controversial mark a year earlier. In the same year he managed a career best 51 goals.
Injury
Australian rules football injuries
Australian rules football is a sport known for its high level of physical body contact compared to other sports such as soccer and basketball. High impact collisions can occur from any direction, although deliberate collisions from front-on...
plagued the rest of his career at the Demons until he was finally delisted in 1998, finishing his career at the Werribee Football Club
Werribee Football Club
The Werribee Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club, based in Werribee, was formed in 1965 and currently plays in the Victorian Football League. Werribee was defeated by the Sandringham Football Club in the 2005 VFL Grand Final.-History:The Werribee Football Club...
in 2004.