Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Christopher Smith

Known as
Chris Smith

Born
29 September 1955 (age 69)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 17y 225d
Last game: 26y 291d

Height and weight
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 97 kg

Senior clubs
Fitzroy

Jumper numbers
Fitzroy: 35, 8

Chris Smith

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
FitzroyV/AFL1973-1982163580.3642%7.673.953.7839
Total1973-1982163580.3642%7.673.953.7839

AFL: 8,562nd player to appear, 1,118th most games played, 1,860th most goals kickedFitzroy: 906th player to appear, 26th most games played, 86th most goals kicked

Chris Smith, who played 163 VFL games and kicked 58 goals for Fitzroy between 1973 and 1982, was one of the finest centre half backs of his era. Immediately recognisable because he wore a helmet, one of very few players to do so at this period in the game’s history, he was a formidable on-field presence who used his large (189cm, 97kg) frame to telling effect. He is well remembered by some for leading the 1980 Brownlow count for part of the night, much to the VFL’s embarrassment as he had not been invited to the ceremony. He eventually finished sixth.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.