Archibald Smith (born 19 July 1995) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the

Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...

in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Smith was born in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

on 19 July 1995, the son of former NBA and NBL

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player Andre Moore. Smith himself played junior basketball at an elite level and was courted by multiple Division One colleges in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

before being scouted by AFL recruiters at the age of 17. Despite having no prior Australian rules football experience, Smith drew interest from recruiters due to his supreme athleticism for his size. He attended St Laurence's College in South Brisbane throughout his teenage years.

Football career

Smith was drafted by the Brisbane Lions with their third selection and sixty-ninth overall in the 2014 rookie draft as an Academy selection. He made his debut against in round 19, 2016 in a near best-on-ground performance, gathering 19 disposals and 30 hit outs at the Gabba. While Smith spent eight years with Brisbane, only three of those were on the senior list, and he was starved for opportunities at the highest level. Playing mostly for Brisbane's reserve team in this time, Smith won three premierships with the Lions in the

North East Australian Football League The North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) was an Australian rules football league in New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. The league was formed in November 2010, and its inaugural co ...

(NEAFL) in 2013, 2017 and 2019. Following the win over

Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Iris ...

in the 2019 NEAFL grand final, he became the first (and subsequently only) player to win three flags at NEAFL level.

Personal life

Smith is one of 6 children, with siblings Gemma, Sebastian, Isaac, Abib and Violet. In November 2020, Archie's brother, Sebastian, died by suicide at the age of 21. Subsequently, before every game, Smith wrote his late brother's name on his wrist as a motivational tribute. Smith also advocated for suicide prevention in his brother's memory as an ambassador for Lifeline Australia. Smith announced his retirement from the AFL at the end of the 2021 season, citing a desire to prioritise mental well-being and family. He married his longtime partner Sophie in October 2021, and the couple welcomed their first child, Montgomery, in April 2022.

External links

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References

1995 births Living people Australian people of African-American descent Brisbane Lions players Mount Gravatt Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Queensland {{AFL-bio-1990s-stub