A THREE-time premiership player at Hawthorn, Geelong veteran Isaac Smith has labelled as “pretty special” the chance to win a flag with the Cats.
Smith will be one of only two three-time premiership players among the 46 taking part in Saturday’s grand final against Sydney, with Geelong captain Joel Selwood also looking to add a fourth premiership medal to his collection.
He has played 47 of a possible 49 games since arriving at GMHBA Stadium as a free agent ahead of the 2021 season to take his career tally to 257.
“We’ve put a lot of hard work in over the last 24 months,” Smith said. “It’s purely what you play the game for.
“It’s super exciting, and it would be nice to do it with this bunch of guys because it will keep us connected forever.
“And what you want out of football is strong relationships.”
CATS: RETIREMENT WITHOUT REGRETS
Smith, who turns 34 in December, says the thought of retirement if Geelong wins its 10th VFL/AFL premiership has barely crossed his mind.
“I haven’t really thought about it too much,” he said.
“We’ve got a three-month-old child, and that’s occupying my mind a fair bit.
“Who knows what opportunities will pop up?
“But, most likely, I’ll be running around here.”
After starting his football journey in southern New South Wales before heading to Ballarat ahead of his drafting to the AFL, Smith loves the regional feel of Geelong.
“It feels like a country football club that sometimes plays in the AFL and goes up to the MCG for big games,” he said.
“They’ve got a good balance between being really professional and also enjoying yourself and enjoying your time in the AFL system.
“Probably, too many guys fall out of the system not enjoying it.
“And I feel they’ve got a really good mix here, which is nice.”
Twitter: @krockfootball
