E. L. "Bert" Smedley (1 April 1905 – 30 November 1979)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the late 1920s.
Bert Smedley | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Ernest L. Smedley | ||
Date of birth | 1 April 1905 | ||
Date of death | 30 November 1979(1979-11-30) (aged 74) | ||
Original team(s) | Castlemaine | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1928–29 | St Kilda | 19 (55) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1929. | |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Smedley debuted in the 1928 VFL season and finished the year with exactly 50 goals, a tally which included six goal haul in just his second VFL game and a high of eight goals which he kicked in a win over North Melbourne at Arden Street.
The Castlemaine recruit was involved in a controversial incident in St Kilda's round 17 encounter with Melbourne.[2] In the dying seconds, a pass from Horrie Mason had found Smedley, who played on and was running into an open goals when the bell rang.[2] The umpire however had failed to hear it and only after Smedley had kicked the goal, which put his team one point up, did the game end.[2] Melbourne unsuccessfully appealed the result but the win wasn't enough to put St Kilda into the finals as they missed out through percentage.
In 1930, Smedley was appointed as Captain / Coach of the Corowa Football Club in the Ovens and Murray Football League,[3] then was cleared to Prahran in April, 1931.[4]
St Kilda Football Club · leading goalkickers | |
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VFL/AFL |
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AFL Women's |
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