Nigel Smart
| Nigel Smart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Nigel Smart | ||
| Date of birth | 21 May 1969 | ||
| Original team(s) |
Christies Beach (SFL) South Adelaide (SANFL) |
||
| Height / weight | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) / 91 kg (14 st 5 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1991–2004 | Adelaide | 278 (116) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| South Australia | |||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2004.
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| Career highlights | |||
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Club
Representative
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Club
Representative
Nigel James Smart (born 21 May 1969) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Smart played most of his career in defence, and became a crowd favourite easily identifiable with his bald head and goatee.
Smart made his senior debut in 1988 in the SANFL with South Adelaide Football Club and was a member of the Adelaide Crows squad for their inaugural season in 1991. Smart was named at full-back for Adelaide's Round One match against Hawthorn, standing superstar full-forward Jason Dunstall. On his AFL debut Smart collected six kicks, nine handballs and grabbed six marks.
At the end of the 1991 season, Smart would become Adelaide's first ever All-Australian, selected in the Back pocket.
One of the most famous incidents attributed to Smart's career was during the 1992 pre-season, when the Crows organised a session to walk over hot coals. Smart suffered severe burns to his feet but returned to play football soon after.
Smart was one of the key players in Adelaide's resurgence under Malcolm Blight, and in the 1997 AFL Grand Final against St Kilda, he had the honour of kicking the final goal of the match as Adelaide won their first AFL premiership. He was also a member of the Crows team which won the 1998 AFL Grand Final, the Crows becoming the first team since Hawthorn in 1988 and 1989 to win back-to-back premierships.
After his retirement from football, Smart was an unsuccessful candidate for the Liberal Party for the electoral district of Norwood in the 2006 South Australian state election.
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