Peter Smith, son of the legendary Melbourne Coach Norm Smith, and a senior Carlton player in the Ron Barassi-coached Premiership seasons of 1968 and ’70, has died after a long illness at the age of 78.
Smith, who strung together 15 matches for the Blues, followed Barassi and Peter McLean across after a 13-game senior stint with the Redlegs that began with his recruitment from Melbourne Grammar in 1965.
Wearing the No.37 later made famous by his second cousin Wayne Harmes, Smith was named at full-forward for his Carlton senior debut in ’68, in the Round 2 Anzac Day contest with arch rival Richmond on the MCG.
As fate would have it, Smith’s on-going prospects up front were restricted with the sizeable presence of both Brian Kekovich and Alex Jesaulenko, and by 1970 he found senior selection increasingly difficult.
Accordingly, he turned out for the last time in Round 17 of that year, against Fitzroy at VFL Park – having earned the respect of his peers for which he was acknowledged with the President’s Trophy for Best Clubman in 1969.
To quote the unnamed correspondent in the ’69 Annual Report: “In winning this Trophy, Peter displayed all the attributes which combine to make an ideal clubman. The type of Club spirit he has is shown in the spirit in which he played in the Reserves for the major part of the Season and, undoubtedly, was one of the major contributing factors in their success. peter is at all times willing to assist in attending Clinics and promoting junior football, and is a worthy recipient of this Award”.
Smith managed just two senior appearances in 1969 and three in ’70 – the latter season in which he served as Carlton’s reserve grade captain and booted 45 goals for thew twos. Again, Smith earned glowing praise in the ’70 Annual Report: “The responsibilities of Captain would distract a certain amount of a player’s concentration, but despite this his (Smith’s) play was consistently good. He played in many positions, mostly where the pressure was greatest (and) this was a tribute to his versatility. A really great Captain’s effort.
Smith ended his time at Princes Park with the Club’s good wishes – and after having been cleared to VFA outfit Port Melbourne leading into season 1971, his opportunities suddenly presented.
As the Borough’s first-choice full-forward, Smith averaged 70 goals a season over the course of his first three.
Port Melbourne’s decision to trade Smith to Coburg in a direct swap for Mick Erwin, resulted in spectacular successes for the Lions, as they dropped just one 2nd division game in 1974 as Smith went on a goalkicking rampage.
In the final home and away round of the season he booted 13 goals against Mordialloc, then followed up with 12 in the second-semi against Waverley and another eight in the Grand Final with the same opponent.
Ultimately Coburg won the flag in a canter on the back of Smith’s 121-goal haul – a feat which saw him join Bob Pratt, Jack Titus and the former Carlton Premiership player Lance Collins as the club’s only players to kick the ton – and in his final season with the newly-promoted 1st Division outfit he booted another 82 before hanging them up.
In 1979, in the immediate aftermath of the hard-fought Grand Final victory over Collingwood, Harmes accepted the inaugural Norm Smith Medal for best player afield from Norm’s widow Marj – his great aunt through marriage to the acclaimed Melbourne Coach.
Years before, Harmes had crossed paths with Norm’s son when the former was a kid at Westbreen Primary School in Pascoe Vale.
“I remember back in grade six that Peter and his great friend Robert Walls turned up for a footy clinic at the school. I knew in advance that Peter was going to be there and I mentioned it to Dad who said to me ‘Peter’s your second cousin’,” Harmes said.
“I never knew until he mentioned it about four weeks ago that he wore the number 37 at Carlton. I first wore the number 54, but ended up with 37 when Ken Sheldon vacated it for Syd Jackson’s number five.”
In 2023, Smith and former Carlton footballer David Rhys-Jones shook hands to bring finality to an ugly on-field incident of 42 years previous. In Round 1981, Smith, who had returned to Melbourne as runner, and Rhys-Jones, then playing for Sydney, were involved in a fracas on the MCG for which Rhys-Jones was subsequently reported for striking Smith and duly suspended for four matches.
The great irony in all of this was that six years after the altercation, Rhys-Jones was presented with the medal in Peter’s father’s name as best afield for the Blues in the 1987 Grand Final.
Peter Victor Smith was the 803rd player to represent Carlton at VFL/AFL level since the formation of the competition in 1897. The Carlton Football Club extends deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
