Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Bailey Smith cognitive behavioural therapy work has become a key part of his 2026 season, with the Geelong midfielder saying he is calmer, less reactive and better placed to handle life in the AFL spotlight.
Smith’s football has remained elite after his breakout first season at Geelong in 2025, when he helped the Cats reach a grand final, finished top three in the Brownlow Medal and won his first AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player Award.
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Smith Opens Up On Mindset Shift
The 25-year-old is again among the Brownlow Medal fancies in 2026, averaging 32.3 disposals per game for a Geelong side still in premiership contention.
But this season has been quieter away from the field, after a difficult 2025 campaign that included a formal AFL warning following several off-field incidents.
“I’m a lot less emotional,” he told 7NEWS.
“I think last year, the whole year I had a chip on my shoulder; I wanted to return well and show that I still love the game and want to be one of the best.
“I think a lot of that came out of anger, weirdly, after the year I had, and resentment towards just people, the footy world, and I probably wasn’t in a good place the year before that.
Football And Character
Smith said therapy has helped him separate thoughts from reactions, especially after returning from the ACL rupture he suffered in his final Western Bulldogs season.
“I’ve been working really hard on, it’s called metacognitive awareness — it’s the notion that you’re not your thoughts, you’re purely an observer of them, and understanding that how I think doesn’t need to be how I feel, and just learning to be more aware and curious of why I’m thinking or why I’m feeling some sort of way each day, rather than acting on it and making permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.
“That’s been a big thing. It’s called cognitive behavioural therapy, which I do with my psych.
Smith also said strong football should not come at the cost of behaviour.
“Yeah, but that shouldn’t come at the cost of (being a good person),” Smith said of his 2025 season.
“I think it’s (being a) good human first, and then the byproduct of that is you play good footy, and if you don’t, at least at the end of the day, you’re still a good person.
His message is clear. Geelong are still getting a high-level midfielder, but Smith believes his biggest growth has come from learning when not to let emotion take control.
