‘Next year brother’: Inside wild ‘A++’ comeback no one saw coming after ominous message

“Next year brother.”

Ollie Dempsey’s cheeky Instagram comment on Bailey Smith’s photo at the 2024 Grand Final alongside Nick Daicos with the caption: “Be out there one day.”

Turns out Dempsey was right on the money.

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It’s been some sort of wild 12 months for Bailey Smith at Geelong with a little bit of everything after being traded from the Western Bulldogs.

But it’s ultimately a success and comeback story.

For ‘Bazlenka’ has been a key part of Geelong’s grand final run and he’s clearly the most fascinating character in the 2025 decider — and perhaps the AFL at large.

It’s really been the perfect second marriage.

Something just felt different when you first saw Smith sporting a headband in the blue and white hoops after a year on the sidelines due to an ACL injury. He had new look. And new energy.

From immediately returning to — and ascending past — his previous best heights to become a bona fide superstar again.

To a few cheeky birds to the crowd and some questionable social media antics.

Which effectively led to a secret meeting with AFL chief Andrew Dillon and senior Cats officials.

To a few canid interviews that might’ve made Cats officials slightly nervous. But one particularly brave address on his mental health battles at the All-Australian.

To a messy confrontation with a photographer.

To rocking speed dealer sunglasses at the Brownlow Medal — an award he was firmly in the mix for. And again, a potential winners speech that also could’ve caused Geelong’s top brass to sweat.

And everything in between.

It’s all part of the package and wonder of the blonde mulleted, social media unorthodox star who’s simply a different cat — pardon the pun.

We got an insight into that with a picture inside Smith’s locker he shared to his Instagram account. It included handwritten notes that read “I am disciplined, I am fearless, I am confident, I am free,” and “I embrace pain, pressure and hardship.”

And as if on brand, a Snoop Dogg top.

For all Smith is, Cats legend Cameron Mooney described him as a “breath of fresh air” for the club.

“Yes, he’s made some mistakes. But he’s still a young man growing and learning,” Mooney told foxfooty.com.au.

“His footy has been A++. After missing last year, from the moment he stepped onto the field he’s been outstanding.

“Couldn’t be happier for him or prouder of him.

“I think all clubs allow individuals to be themselves a bit more, it’s the world we live in. We don’t have the ruling of an iron first, as I grew up with.

“In doing that, you get the best out of players and they’re getting the best out of Bailey. Let’s just hope he looks after himself if they win the game!”

A real Gen Z-er that couldn’t be more different to Geelong’s previous iterations of footballer’s footballers like Gary Ablett Jr, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood, Cameron Ling, Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright and Paul Chapman.

This lad is wired differently.

Yet one thing that’s remained true at the Cats in more recent terms — and an area they’ve been ahead of the curve — is embracing the lifestyle and regime that gets the best out of each individual.

As opposed to the long-time thinking of one size fits all.

It’s all the part of the sell and appeal of the Cattery and why they’re such a major destination club that continues to draw big names. And it’s a key reason Smith has been such a success story.

He’s sure paid them back on field and let his footy has do the most talking in a career-best, maiden All-Australian season.

For all the questions around Smith, the character and the brand, what can’t be denied is Smith, the blazing midfield star, has clearly been the recruit of the year.

There was something compelling about Smith helping propel Geelong past Hawthorn, the other team circling him last year, in the preliminary final.

His pure football ability sometimes gets lost in the colourful persona and all the rest that comes with it.

Mooney said “no one could’ve seen” the recruitment of Smith working out as well as it had after he arrived in last year’s trade period for just Pick 17.

“I forgot what kind of a player he was, I thought he was more of an outside winger,” Mooney added.

“Watching him close up this year probably a dozen times, he is as hard as anybody. He attacks the ball and tackles as well as anybody and his gut running is as good as anything I’ve seen in the game.

“It’s worked really well, one game to go and hopefully it works well again.

“It’s been an absolute pleasant surprise how well he’s played on field.”

It looks like a genius move now and the former Pick 7 has always been a tremendous talent. But it’s easy to forget Smith missed the entirety of last season and came across with a level of baggage after some off-field issues.

Plus, we hadn’t seen the best of Smith at the Dogs for a couple of years, with his 2021 finals series still his finest moments in the red, white and blue.

More specifically, a clutch semi-final performance when he really elevated his status against ... Brisbane.

Of course, the Dogs went all the way to the grand final that year in a loss to Melbourne in Perth. So Smith has played in a grand final before, just not on the MCG’s hallowed turf.

Geelong champion Tom Hawkins believes Smith has provided a special spark to the club — including one off field that can’t be measured.

“I saw Bailey a couple of times in the off-season and, tongue in cheek, gave my two cents worth of what Geelong was like. But he has clearly had more powerful conversations than being at a 40th with me and having a couple of beers in the back corner!,” Hawkins told foxfooty.com.au.

“He’s been a revelation for Geelong. Far out. No-one in their right mind could’ve predicted off the back of a knee reconstruction and some real battles he’s mentioned, that he could go and have done what he’s done. He’s given life to Geelong.

“I try to pick up a little bit of what I see in here, but the way that he interacts with the players and gives them energy is sometimes an unjudgeable sort of measure that we don’t put enough importance on at the right times, because footy seasons are long and tough.

“But it’s just been such a breath of fresh air for the group.”

The potency of Chris Scott’s one-two midfield punch with ‘Dash Brothers’ Smith and Max Holmes personifies modern tactics of breakneck speed and ball movement.

It’s fuelled the latest evolution of these new-look Cats toward another crack at silverware with several emerging young guns.

“Everyone can see with Max Holmes and the dynamic of those two, but Smith has really balanced Geelong outside up and has given Patty (Dangerfield) the opportunity to play more forward,” Hawkins added.

“He is a player who can break lines and now, having sort of two of them that do it exceptionally well, do it at an elite level in Max and Bailey is why I think Geelong are as well-placed as they have been for a long, long time.

“I just think this make-up of side is one of their best in the last five years and are perfectly positioned for the way the game is played now.

“You need to be able to run. You need your players on the outside, because meters gained is so important, and to have the ball in multiple players hands can be very damaging. He just adds an X-factor that Geelong haven’t had access to, or the luxury of, for the last few years.”

Smith has a chance to be the first high-end pick from a loaded 2018 draft class — including the likes of Sam Walsh, Izak Rankine, the King brothers, Connor Rozee and Zak Butters — to win a premiership.

But Smith has very much done it his own way and taken the footy world and his 403,000 Instagram followers along for the wild ride.

This year’s grand final day Instagram post could look very different to last year’s. It might be his favourite post yet.

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