- Bailey Smith angered many Western Bulldogs fans
- Followed TV jibe that got a reaction from ex-teammate
Geelong star Bailey Smith is a villain in the eyes of many Western Bulldogs fans following his recent swipe about the club playing in Ballarat – but the Cats midfielder is trying to atone with a bit of help from a huge amount of grog.
Smith announced a unique alcohol giveaway for Ballarat locals on his Instagram story on Wednesday night.
It involves Barry’s Drink, which is backed by Smith alongside Collingwood siblings Nick and Josh Daicos, plus Carlton key forward Charlie Curnow.
‘Since I took the p**s, it’s only fair to give some back,’ Smith posted.
‘Just sent 90 slabs down to Ballarat so… Ballarat folk grab a free 4 pack on me until (the) stock is gone.’
The location was tagged as the Thirsty Camel bottle shop in Delacombe from Friday at 1pm.
Geelong star Bailey Smith is giving drinkers in Ballarat the chance to have a few beverages on him after he made a controversial comment about the town
The Cats midfielder is looking to atone for the crack he had at Ballarat as he sledged his old Bulldogs club on live television (pictured)
A highly touted junior, Smith made his AFL debut in 2019 with the Western Bulldogs and quickly became a fan favourite
On May 3, Geelong recruit Smith came under fire after contrasting the atmosphere of a packed MCG to the Bulldogs’ win over Port Adelaide earlier in the day.
While Smith played in front of more than 80,000 fans in his team’s win over Collingwood, the Bulldogs’ clash with the Power featured less than 5000 spectators due to ongoing building works at the Ballarat venue.
‘It’s beautiful….I’m not getting that at Ballarat,’ Smith stated on Fox Footy after Geelong’s nail-biting 13.12 (90) to 12.15 (87) triumph.
Smith’s tongue in cheek comment wasn’t well received by Western Bulldogs fans – and captain Marcus Bontempelli didn’t miss an opportunity to call out his former teammate this week.
‘It is nice to know we are still on Bailey’s mind,’ Bontempelli told the Seven Network.
‘You know, he’s still thinking about us… even at another team.’
However, Smith could run into a big problem with his attempt to get Ballarat locals back onside.
Victoria has strict laws around giving away alcohol, targeting promotions that involve reduced-price alcohol.
Guidelines from the Victorian Liquor Commission state ‘care should be taken with promotions involving free alcohol’, as ‘the cheaper the alcohol, the greater the incentive for customers to purchase and consume excessive amounts’.
Daily Mail Australia has approached the commission for comment.
In what will be one of the most anticipated matches of the AFL season, Smith is due to face his old club on May 22 at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong.
