The AFL has officially told Geelong to get Bailey Smith’s social media situation under control, following yet another round of eyebrow-raising online activity from the 24-year-old midfielder.
The league reportedly wrote to Cats CEO Steve Hocking, warning that Smith could face disciplinary action if he continues to post controversial content, according to The Age. The move follows his ongoing string of social media controversies, the most recent being an Instagram Story that featured a clip of ex-AFL figure Sam Newman mocking journalist Caroline Wilson on The Footy Show, which fans called out as disrespectful.
This comes just weeks after Geelong’s now-infamous Mad Monday celebrations, where teammate Max Holmes dressed as Wilson — a nod to her Footy Classified segment “Caro’s Arrow” — and Smith posted a photo of the costume with the caption “Caro has never looked better” alongside a suggestive emoji.
The stunt quickly drew criticism from across the league, including from The Age’s own Wilson, who slammed the post as “insulting and sexist” in a fiery op-ed.
The controversy spiralled even further when veteran player Mitch Brown, the AFL’s first openly queer player, called Smith out for another Mad Monday photo that referenced Brokeback Mountain, labelling the image “homophobic” and asking him to “do better”.
Geelong responded with a public apology, calling their players’ behaviour “a significant error of judgement” and confirming they would scrap future Mad Mondays altogether.
Adding fuel to the fire, earlier this season Smith was accused of verbally abusing Geelong Advertiser photographer Alison Wynd during an open training session, reportedly swearing at her after she took photos of him on the massage table. He reportedly texted her an apology following public backlash.
While the AFL has stopped short of issuing formal punishment this time, The Age reports the league told Geelong that Smith’s repeated conduct — while individually not severe enough to sanction — has collectively become a problem for the game’s image.
Speaking to SEN earlier this month, Geelong’s CEO Steve Hocking acknowledged the issue. He praised Smith’s on-field performance mentioning Smith finishing as third in this year’s Brownlow — but admitted his social media habits remain a challenge for the club to manage.
“When you come off-field, the interest in [Smith] is just unbelievable. He has a different relationship with social media than our age profile. I don’t understand it at all, but he works that exceptionally well,” Hocking said.
“There will be a time in my view this will involve all of us in the off-season where by we need to (talk to him).
“It’s not about tiptoeing around someone like Bailey but more about tailoring it accordingly.”
For a player once dubbed the “poster boy” of AFL, Smith’s off-field dramas seem to keep eclipsing his on-field brilliance. And unless that changes, the AFL’s patience may finally run out.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to the Geelong Cats and the AFL for comment.
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