If you thought Geelong had a Bailey Smith problem, you were wrong. It’s you who has a Bailey Smith problem. My goodness, did you not see the way he played this year?

He was an outrageous success. Not perfect mind you, but so, so close. Just a nudge here and there and voila, perfect. Nothing to fret about at all.

Bailey Smith delivered elite performances on the field, and turmoil off it, in his first season at Geelong.Credit: AFL Photos

And his coach Chris Scott is right: Bailey Smith the football player was an outrageous success on the field for much of the year (let’s not look too closely at his grand final).

But Geelong didn’t just recruit a footballer, they recruited a brand. And Brand Bailey Smith has done damage to Brand Geelong. Though it has done wonders for Brand Bailey Smith.

Scott prefers to coach the footballer and ignore the brand. He worries about what players do for him on the field and leaves it to others to worry about what they do outside the boundary line. He’s a coach so to an extent that’s right. But he’s also a club leader so to that extent, he needs a bigger picture.

Smith’s post-season Mad Monday behaviour with his social media posts should concern Scott. A team represents a club and makes the club something people want to be a part of. Winning is only part of it.

Scott at his press conference on Wednesday upon........

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