Bailey Smith has reportedly been warned by the AFL for his continued posting of mischievous content on social media.
The Age reported on Monday afternoon that the league contacted Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking over Smith’s now-deleted story where club legend Sam Newman verbally attacked veteran journalist Caroline Wilson on The Footy Show nearly a decade ago.
The superstar’s posts came in spite of a recent Wilson column that criticised the 24-year-old for his continued antics, including another Instagram story of teammate Max Holmes dressing up as her for Mad Monday that was accompanied by an inappropriate caption.
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Amid Geelong’s finals run last month, Smith also verbally abused photographer Alison Wynd, before texting her an apology.
The Age reports that while each incident involving the midfielder in recent times doesn’t deserve a sanction, his continued pattern of behaviour is enough to have him walking on thin ice with the AFL.
Earlier this month, Hocking told SEN: “Mad Monday is absolutely on all of us. There is a range of people that were part of that. There’s certain individuals that dressed up inappropriately. We have apologised for that, particularly to Caro (Caroline Wilson), it was unacceptable how that was rolled out and treated.”
“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”
His first indiscretion for the year came in Gather Round against Adelaide, when he gave a fan in the stands a middle-finger salute as Geelong walked back down to the changerooms post-game.
In his maiden year at the Cattery, Smith enjoyed a career-best season which saw him round out the podium of the 2025 Brownlow Medal — finishing only behind winner Matt Rowell and Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos.
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