Joel Smith
Encyclopedia
Joel Smith is a former Australian rules football
er.
Beginning his career in 1995 as a bright young prospect for St Kilda, Smith was touted as the future of the club.
Smith played in St Kilda’s 1996 AFL Ansett Australia Cup
winning side – the club's first AFL Cup win.
He provided 3 good years of service before being incurring a serious anterior cruciate ligament
injury requiring reconstruction
late in the 1997 home and away season, missing the Saints' finals series.
A contractual dispute meant he moved to Hawthorn
at the end of 1997. While he was injured all throughout 1998 and did not play a game, Hawthorn recognised this talent and kept him on the list.
Smith made his return in the 1999 season and his role at the Hawks was as a running half-back, setting up attacking plays. He has been very successful playing this role throughout his career, and in 2001, won All-Australian selection and the Peter Crimmins Medal
. He again won All-Australian selection in 2003, was vice captain in the 2005 season, and consistently finished in the top bunch of players in his club's best and fairest award.
Smith retired at the end of the 2007 season, during which Hawthorn returned to the finals for the first time in 6 years, citing that the rapidly improving Hawthorn side was likely to mean reduced opportunities for him in 2008.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er.
Beginning his career in 1995 as a bright young prospect for St Kilda, Smith was touted as the future of the club.
Smith played in St Kilda’s 1996 AFL Ansett Australia Cup
1996 Ansett Australia Cup
- Scorecard :-St Kilda Football Club:-Carlton Football Club:- Final Placings :1. St. Kilda 2. Carlton 3. West Coast 4. North Melbourne 5. Collingwood 6. Brisbane 7. Footscray 8. Adelaide 9. Sydney 10. Fremantle 11. Fitzroy 12. Richmond...
winning side – the club's first AFL Cup win.
He provided 3 good years of service before being incurring a serious anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury requiring reconstruction
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a surgical tissue graft replacement of the anterior cruciate ligament, located in the knee, to restore its function after anterior cruciate ligament injury. The torn ligament is removed from the knee before the graft is inserted through a hole created...
late in the 1997 home and away season, missing the Saints' finals series.
A contractual dispute meant he moved to Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
at the end of 1997. While he was injured all throughout 1998 and did not play a game, Hawthorn recognised this talent and kept him on the list.
Smith made his return in the 1999 season and his role at the Hawks was as a running half-back, setting up attacking plays. He has been very successful playing this role throughout his career, and in 2001, won All-Australian selection and the Peter Crimmins Medal
Peter Crimmins Medal
The Peter Crimmins Medal is an Australian rules football award given to the player from the Hawthorn Football Club deemed best and fairest for the season.Peter Crimmins was a rover for Hawthorn, playing 1966-1975...
. He again won All-Australian selection in 2003, was vice captain in the 2005 season, and consistently finished in the top bunch of players in his club's best and fairest award.
Smith retired at the end of the 2007 season, during which Hawthorn returned to the finals for the first time in 6 years, citing that the rapidly improving Hawthorn side was likely to mean reduced opportunities for him in 2008.