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Emma Quayle - The Age - 4 July
BILLIE Smedts wasn't born when his father played his last VFL game. Alby retired 29 years ago, after 51 games for the Bulldogs and another 10 for St Kilda, so all his fourth son has seen is photographs of him stationed at full-back.
"He doesn't even talk to me much about it, because he reckons the game's changed so much since he played that he has no idea what to say," said Smedts, who should start finding out for himself after this year's draft.
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Billie grew up on the outskirts of Warrnambool, where his family moved once his dad's career was done. He grew up barracking for the Bulldogs. In the past few years, he has narrowed his focus even further: he wants to be like Ryan Griffen. "I just love him," he smiled. "He's such a quick player, and no one ever seems able to tackle him. I just love how he goes about his footy. He's the one I'd like to play like".
He would love to play with him, too, and very nearly could have. Had his father, who made his debut at 24, eked out another few seasons at Footscray and made it to 100 games, Billie would have been available to his favourite club as a father-son draftee. With Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore, two players of possible first-round standard, already within reach, the Bulldogs almost had first call on a third, just-as-well-rated teenager.
It was almost the ideal scenario, with Gold Coast gobbling up so many early picks, and one Smedts would have been happy with. "I wish, I wish!" said the 18-year-old, "but oh well. I would have liked to have gone straight there, but at the same time, I'm not anywhere yet. I'd love to get drafted by anyone and that's what I would have been trying to do anyway right now, proving myself to them all.
But I do love the Doggies. It would have been pretty amazing, to think I could just go there."
BILLIE Smedts wasn't born when his father played his last VFL game. Alby retired 29 years ago, after 51 games for the Bulldogs and another 10 for St Kilda, so all his fourth son has seen is photographs of him stationed at full-back.
"He doesn't even talk to me much about it, because he reckons the game's changed so much since he played that he has no idea what to say," said Smedts, who should start finding out for himself after this year's draft.
Article in full...
*Liked these psrts in the article:
Billie grew up on the outskirts of Warrnambool, where his family moved once his dad's career was done. He grew up barracking for the Bulldogs. In the past few years, he has narrowed his focus even further: he wants to be like Ryan Griffen. "I just love him," he smiled. "He's such a quick player, and no one ever seems able to tackle him. I just love how he goes about his footy. He's the one I'd like to play like".
He would love to play with him, too, and very nearly could have. Had his father, who made his debut at 24, eked out another few seasons at Footscray and made it to 100 games, Billie would have been available to his favourite club as a father-son draftee. With Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore, two players of possible first-round standard, already within reach, the Bulldogs almost had first call on a third, just-as-well-rated teenager.
It was almost the ideal scenario, with Gold Coast gobbling up so many early picks, and one Smedts would have been happy with. "I wish, I wish!" said the 18-year-old, "but oh well. I would have liked to have gone straight there, but at the same time, I'm not anywhere yet. I'd love to get drafted by anyone and that's what I would have been trying to do anyway right now, proving myself to them all.
But I do love the Doggies. It would have been pretty amazing, to think I could just go there."
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