Bailey Smith hasn’t played football for a year. The club he played for was one of the smallest in Victoria, the home of football. He was a watchable player at one of the lesser-watched teams.

He remains one of the most marketable, recognisable footballers in the competition. It is a status he propagates, but evidently does not totally enjoy. He is a footballing conundrum, a paradoxically shy extrovert.

The Cats unveil their recruit Bailey Smith.Credit: Cats Media

In some ways, it made the Western Bulldogs the........

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