'A lot of pressure': Bailey Smith takes famous Geelong no.3 in hopes of following legends before him
Updated . First published at
Star Geelong recruit Bailey Smith has been honoured with the famous number three, which he will don when he pulls on the hoops for the first time in 2025.
He was presented his new jumper by 1963 Cats premiership skipper Fred Wooller at Kardinia Park on Friday.
And with that number, comes a lot of responsibility.
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Geelong superstar Jimmy Bartel played in the three and won three flags, while Brandan Parfitt also donned it during the Cats 2022 flag.
Before them, it was former Cats skipper and three-time All-Australian Mark Bairstow who made the three his own.
Fred Wooller, the Cats 1963 Premiership Captain poses for a photo with new recruit Bailey Smith and presents him with his number #3 jumper. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos
Wooller, of course, was a premiership skipper in the three, and a three-time Cats leading goal kicker.
But ask the freshly-24-year-old Smith, and that expectation of wearing the famous number three is exactly what he thrives on.
"It fills me with a lot of pride, but there is a lot of pressure too which is a good thing," Smith told Geelong media on Friday.
"You see people like Brandan Parfitt most recently, Jimmy Bartel, Fred himself and Mark Bairstow as well that have donned the number.
Bailey Smith of the Cats in action during a Geelong training session. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos
"There are a couple of premierships there and a lot of success, it is certainly exciting, but something I want to keep continuing the tradition and doing the number justice."
And Wooller knows the importance of passing on the number to another player who hopes to do it justice.
"It was a fantastic privilege to be asked to present the guernsey," Wooller said.
"I have had a good association with the previous number three's, particularly Jimmy Bartel.
Jimmy Bartel is a three-time Cats premiership player, Brownlow and Norm Smith medallist, all wearing the famous number three.
"Unfortunately I was away when I was asked to present his, but I did write him a letter to wish him well and hoped one day he would walk off the MCG with a premiership cup like I did.
He did better than that, he won a Norm Smith and a Brownlow, that has been a lovely association with the number three."
And Smith, who left the Bulldogs after 103 and an ACL injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season, is a player who Wooller rates highly.
Wooller and Smith chatted at Kardinia Park. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos
"It is nice to see another number three, but a highly credentialed player like Bailey is something that the club is going to benefit from," he said.
"You can see him being an important part in the structure of the club right around the ground."
Smith has settled in well to life down the coast, starting training earlier in the week.
It has also been revealed that Smith purchased a house on Victoria's surf coast a month before the AFL trade period began, which is worth around $4 million.
He is located just 10 minutes away from Torquay, which is close to his new football home, Geelong.
