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"Dark time": Bailey Smith opens up on difficult mental health journey
SEN • August 29th, 2025 9:17 am
Geelong superstar Bailey Smith has made an incredibly honest admission, documenting his mental health struggles throughout his time away from football.
Suffering an ACL injury during the off-season in late 2023, Smith was ruled out of the entire 2024 AFL season before eventually shifting from the Western Bulldogs to the Cats ahead of 2025.
Playing out a stellar season in new colours, Smith was awarded with his first career All-Australian blazer, averaging 32 disposals and six clearances a game in what was by far the best of his six seasons thus far.
Speaking on his time away from football in 2024, Smith opened up about his difficult battle with mental health.
“It was about a year ago I got out of a psych ward – I was in Epworth Camberwell for four weeks. I got a couple of hours out a day, and I spent that training,” Smith said on Fox Footy.
“I went through a really dark time. I didn’t think I’d get to the other side.
“I’m super grateful to be here through the support of my family, my manager Robbie being there through the shocking times. I know it’s just an injury but until you experience it and have a sense of identity sort of taken away from you and go through some teething issues with moving clubs and outside noise and still trying to just grow up and rehab a knee. I’m super grateful to be on the other side of it.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world. But certainly, surprised to be where I am today.”
Advocating for speaking up, Smith expressed the benefits of his experience within the mental health space.
“It was hard (going into the psych ward), but it was something I sort of had to do,” Smith continued.
“It was obviously voluntary to go in. I still see my psych today. It sort of just helps me. I initially felt, not weak but emasculated a little bit needing to reach out for help.
“I sort of just changed my mindset from you know, if you have an injury you have to rehab it in the gym or whatever. If you have an injury mentally, it’s just rehabbing it and keeping on top of that. It’s just like going to the gym for your fitness, I’m going to the gym for my mental fitness.
“The word gets thrown around a lot these days – mental health. I suppose it’s an excuse in some cases. It’s not a sympathy, ‘poor me’ thing. It’s more to raise awareness you can put your hand up. It’s a tough period but wouldn’t change it for the world.
“It always makes sense in retrospect – just know whatever dark period you’re going through, one day it will make sense.
“If we can normalise that (treatment of mental health), the better we can see the community become, both young men and young women.
“It’s been pretty surreal to be where I am now – there’s so much work to be done. Smell the roses while you can but I’ve just got to keep going.”
