Bill Smeaton (11 December 1928 – 13 May 1989) was an Australian rules footballer who played with the Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Personal Information
- Full name: William Frederick Smeaton
- Born: 11 December 1928, Stawell, Victoria
- Died: 13 May 1989, Batemans Bay, New South Wales
- Height: 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
- Weight: 83 kg (183 lb)
- Position: Full Forward
- Original team: Ararat
Early Career
Smeaton grew up in Stawell, Victoria. In 1946, at age 18, he undertook a pre-season with Richmond, where his cousin George Smeaton had established himself as a defender, but was not recruited. He subsequently moved to Ararat for employment and made his debut in the Wimmera Football League with Ararat in 1948. In 1949, he became a regular goal-kicker, finishing the season with 84 goals in a premiership-winning team.
Melbourne sought to sign Smeaton before the 1950 Wimmera Football League season but had to wait until 1951. During the 1950 season, Smeaton set a Wimmera Football League record by kicking 120 goals.
VFL Career
Smeaton joined Melbourne for the 1951 season. The club was optimistic after he kicked 9 goals in an inter-club practice match, with some drawing comparisons to John Coleman. However, Smeaton became a divisive figure after complaining that his teammates were not kicking the ball to his advantage. He attempted to leave Melbourne in 1952 but was persuaded to stay. After half a dozen games, it became clear he had fallen out of favour with the team and selectors.
Later Career
After leaving Melbourne, Smeaton became playing coach of East Ballarat in 1953 in the Ballarat Football League. In 1954, he returned to Ararat, where he served as captain-coach for three years. He then signed with Stawell as captain-coach from 1957 to 1959. In 1961, he came out of retirement to play one season with Great Western in the Ararat & District Football Association.
