Clay Smith Biography

Recently retired Bulldog Clay Smith says he will be taking time to adjust to life without football.

"I'll still come into the club one or two days a week to kick the ball with the boys and have lunch, but that will come to an end in eight weeks," Smith said.

"I love the physicality of the game, even in the locker room mucking around. The mateship is what I'll miss the most."

Surgery on his knee in February painted a bleak picture, with the procedure revealing he had little cartilage and meniscus tissue.

The degenerative nature of his condition is unlikely to see him play at any level in the future.

"It was good to finally put an end to it and not worry about it anymore," Smith said.

"I haven't been able to train with the group since January due to constant pain in my knee and I haven't been able to put three good running sessions together.

"Follow-up sessions were a struggle, and getting up to top speed was tough, so the knee is just no good."

Clay Smith's horror run with knee injuries has forced him to retire from AFL football, effective immediately.

The 25-year-old is yet to play a game in 2018 due to ongoing issues with his right knee, which he's had reconstructed three times since his debut in 2012.

Smith's nose for a goal and fierce attack on the ball made him a key member of the 2016 flag-winning side, but the forward's troublesome knee has only allowed him to play eight senior games since the Dogs lifted the cup.

"It was a very difficult decision for me to retire at my age, but the right one to make given my knee hasn't been able to fully recover,” Smith said.

"I've given everything to try to make it back this season, but unfortunately it hasn't worked out the way I would've liked.

"While life without footy will leave a big hole in my life, it has shaped me as a person and helped me grow and I'm thankful for that."

Clay Smith will be sidelined for a month with a knee complaint.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge slams a report suggesting Luke Dahlhaus, Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith were put up for trade at the end of 2017.

"(The story) is a total fabrication, something that has been made up, a lie, which is really concerning and disappointing," Beveridge said.

"They are very much-loved players at our club and they weren't on the trade table."

Clay Smith is considering adopting his wife's surname as a professional footballer.

The 24-year-old married partner Sarah O'donohue in October, and has started the process to add her surname to his.

"It's more something I've taken on for Sarah's side of the family. There were two girls and no more O'donohue's. It meant a lot to her and her family," Smith said.

"I don't know if I'll change it for footy but legally we'll both have hyphenated names and so will the kids."

Clay Smith signs a one-year contract extension with the Bulldogs.

Smith says he's happy to keep signing one-year contract extensions if it keeps him in the side.

"I think at the moment (one-year deals will be offered) with my history with the three knees," Smith said.

"I'm probably not the most secure bloke on the list, but they've shown great faith in me.

"I don't want to go anywhere else, I love the club and they've been awesome to me throughout."

Clay Smith signs a one-year extension to remain at the Bulldogs in 2017.

The 23-year-old made a stunning return from his third knee reconstruction in 2016, playing the final 13 games including a best-on-ground performance in the preliminary final win over GWS.

"To be a premiership player with a great bunch of people, and then sign an extension, I can't think of a more happier time in football," Smith said.

"My challenges have been well-documented, but it makes it all worthwhile when get to experience what we have over the past few weeks. I'm just rapt."

Clay Smith knows his career is likely over if he seriously injures his right knee again, but he isn’t fazed.

Smith, who has endured three reconstructions on his right knee in three years, played his third game on Saturday night since returning from his latest injury lay-off.

"My last recovery period was 13 months and it was the longest out of the three injuries and I've come back feeling really confident," Smith said.

"I ended up having a quad graft this time to repair my knee and the doctors believe this will be the strongest one yet, but if it goes again that's pretty much the (end of my career).

"But as soon as I step on the ground I don't think about my knee at all, I have complete confidence in it."

Clay Smith makes a successful return from a third knee reconstruction in as many years with a starring performance in the VFL.

Having not played since round six last season, Smith was cheered by the Whitten Oval faithful for every one of his game-high 36 disposals in Footscray's seven-point win over Geelong.

“Clay’s contribution today was just outstanding for a guy that’s missed so much football,” Footscray coach Ash Hansen said.

“All we wanted was for him to able to fit in and that would be a success and he was certainly more than a success, he was a really strong contributor right to the very end."

As Clay Smith makes his long awaited return from a third knee reconstruction in the VFL this weekend, he has the best wishes of Daniel Menzel, who has endured a similar battle with multiple knee injuries.

"When I heard he was going to play this weekend I texted him saying I was rapt for him and that I would definitely be keeping an eye on him," Menzel said.

"I said enjoy the game and be proud of what you've achieved because like me, he wants to come back and play good footy.

"I feel so pumped for Clay because he's so excited to be playing again and he's worked so hard to get there."

Clay Smith has undergone a successful operation to repair his right anterior cruciate ligament for a third time.

It is understood that Smith's surgeon Dr David Young used a quadriceps tendon to reconstruct his ACL.

The Western Bulldogs have defended their handling of luckless midfielder Clay Smith, having confirmed he will have a third knee reconstruction after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the loss to St Kilda.

The Bulldogs released a statement confirming that Smith had damaged his knee graft in the second quarter, and insisting that his subsequent return to the field was "an acceptable risk".

Smith fell to the ground clutching his knee midway through the second term, but after being assessed by medical staff and told he had ruptured the graft he wanted to continue playing.

The Bulldogs said 21-year-old experienced no pain or swelling and completed running, jumping, twisting and weaving manoeuvres before returning to the field.

"The club's medical staff permitted him to do so on the basis of their clinical judgment that because the graft had already ruptured, the prospect of it being made worse by a second incident was an acceptable risk," the Dogs said in a statement.

On the stroke of half-time, Smith crumpled to the ground again after attempting to get to a marking contest and had to be stretchered from the field.

"The functionality of his knee in the period between the first incident and the second incident was due to the strength of his knee's surrounding musculature and the second incident constituted, in essence, the failure of the surrounding musculature's ability to continue to provide stability to the knee," the statement said.

"The medical staff were and remain of the view that the second incident did not clinically aggravate the injury."

The AFL Players' Association express concern that Western Bulldogs' midfielder Clay Smith was sent back on the field on Saturday after injuring his knee.

However, it is prepared to accept the explanation from the club for the decision.

The Association's player relations' manager Ian Prendergast said questions were asked because they were concerned a club would send a player on to the field who had suffered a serious injury.

"AFL club doctors perform a very difficult task and are required to make decisions on serious matters in high pressure situations and under tight time constraints," Prendergast said.

"While we do not wish to second guess the decision-making of the medical team in this instance, it is concerning that a club would send a player back on to the field who has already suffered a serious injury."

Clay Smith appears to have suffered the third serious knee injury of his short career after opting to return to Saturday's clash against St Kilda after an earlier injury scare.

Smith, who endured two knee reconstructions in a 12-month period before returning for the Bulldogs two weeks ago, suffered the injury as the half-time siren sounded during Saturday's clash against St Kilda.

The 21-year-old was leading towards the ball when his right knee buckled under him at Etihad Stadium. He was taken from the ground on a stretcher.

The anterior cruciate ligament in Smith's right knee has been ruptured twice and there were unconfirmed fears on Saturday he had suffered the same injury again.

Earlier in the second quarter, Smith appeared to jar his right knee near the boundary line – although not on the synthetic turf.

He was taken to the rooms and assessed by club medical staff before returning to the boundary and testing the knee with a series of run-throughs and returning to the field.

The second incident occurred just 15 minutes after the first.

Clay Smith hopes his fortunes are changing for the better after getting through his first game of 2015 in the VFL.

The tough-as-teak 21-year-old has played just one AFL game in nearly two years after enduring a torrid run of injury and illness.

But he showed in Footscray's loss to the Box Hill Hawks on Saturday he's lost none of his ball-winning ability and trademark aggression to be the Bulldogs' best with 24 possessions.

"I went all right, I got a little bit of it (the ball) which is good, but it was mainly about getting through the game," Smith said.

"I got limited game time, about 70 per cent, but I played most of each quarter and I got through unscathed, so I'm happy."

Clay Smith is making strong progress in his bid to return from his latest knee reconstruction and hopes to be back playing in the early stages of the season.

"Within the early stages of the season, I hope I'll be back playing football," Smith said.

"(Being back at training) is much better than running around an oval by myself at 7.30 in the morning, that's for sure.

"It's been great to join in the drills and actually feel like I'm part of the team again."

Clay Smith has resumed skills training for the first time since rupturing the ACL in his right knee last year.

"Clay has embraced the physical and mental challenges of being in long-term rehab, and continues to attack each day with enthusiasm and ferocity," Chris Bell, Bulldogs head physiotherapist, said.

"He has been incredibly diligent, focused and enthusiastic towards his rehabilitation.

"Clay continues to absolutely apply himself to every aspect of his rehab, always pushing the boundaries or his training restrictions and striving for excellence in the gym and on the track."

Clay Smith is confident he will make a successful comeback to senior football next season following a torrid run with injuries.

"The last 12 to 16 months have been pretty tough," Smith said.

"I think it was just unlucky in the way that I turned and how I did it and they said even if I had done it on my left leg I still would have done my ACL. They happen in footy and there are players who have had two or three and got back.

"That's just footy and hopefully I've got my bad luck out of the way. I'm just looking forward to playing footy again."

Scans confirm midfielder Clay Smith has ruptured the ACL in his right knee for the second time in 12 months.

The Bulldogs have opted for a traditional reconstruction, instead of a LARS procedure, with surgery to take place over the next few days.

"It has been confirmed with MRI (scan) that (Clay) has injured his ACL – he has had a specialist review yesterday and it was confirmed that he will need that repaired again." Bulldogs medical services manager Andrew McKenzie said.

Clay Smith's shocking run with injury has continued, with the club confirming the midfielder hurt the knee he had reconstructed last year in the VFL on Sunday afternoon.

The promising 21-year-old sustained the injury to his right knee during the third quarter of Footscray's 53-point win over Essendon at Whitten Oval, but the extent of the damage is yet to be determined.

"We don't know yet, we'll find out tomorrow but it doesn't look great for him. It's a cruel game but you've got to keep life in perspective. He's got a good family, he's a tough kid and we'll look after him," Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said.

Clay Smith believes the Western Bulldog's faith in re-signing him has given him the confidence to move on from a horror run of injury and illness.

"I've had a fair bit of bad luck the last 12-18 months, but hopefully that's it for a little while now and I can get back and play a few games of footy in a row," Smith said.

"The club showed some faith after I had a good first couple of years, and they're happy to stick with me and I'm happy to stick around.

"I'm stoked to get another couple of years."

The Bulldogs have shown their faith in young midfielder Clay Smith, signing the 21-year-old for another two years as he recovers from a ruptured ACL.

The contract extension will see Smith remain at the club until the end of 2016.

"We feel we are forming a core group of young players with desirable and sound qualities and Clay signing a contract extension is another step in the right direction for our Club," Bulldogs' list manager Jason McCartney said.

"Clay is a ruthless competitor who works extremely hard at his game, and we look forward to him having a long career with us."

Clay Smith has suffered another injury setback, facing two months out with an injured shoulder.

In his first AFL match since tearing an ACL in July last year, Smith received a heavy knock to his right shoulder in a marking contest against Gold Coast on Sunday, but played out the game.

The Bulldogs confirmed Smith would have surgery to repair his AC joint on Tuesday afternoon and he will miss up to two months of football.

"Clay will have surgery this afternoon after scans yesterday revealed some damage to his right AC joint," Western Bulldogs medical services manager Andrew McKenzie said.

"The procedure is not dissimilar to Jordan Roughead's, who was able to make a fairly swift recovery, with some meticulous rehabilitation.

"Clay is a determined young man, and will approach his recovery with the same professionalism he did with his recent ACL injury."

The Western Bulldogs confirm Clay Smith will require a knee reconstruction after injuring his right knee against Essendon.

"Unfortunately Clay ruptured his ACL yesterday, we've had scans today which has confirmed that diagnosis," club medical services manager Andrew McKenzie told the club's website.

"He will have a traditional ACL repair later this week."

Clay Smith's season looks over after suffering a suspected ruptured anterior cruciate ligament against Essendon.

"They're thinking that it's the big one, an ACL," Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said.

"But he's a beauty; he hurt himself trying to stop his man from getting the ball.

"We've just got to get him a good rehab now and get him back into it. He's an incredibly strong person, so he'll bounce back."

Bulldogs assistant coach Steven King youngster Clay Smith has set the standard at the club with his attack on the ball.

"We just love his tenacity so much that we show clips of him every week to his peers, showing how ferociously he attacks the ball and the man," King said.

"For him to already be setting the benchmark for us in that area ... as a first-year player, is a pretty special effort.

"You know what you're going to get with him. He's a seriously competitive beast. He's certainly got areas to work on, but the things he can do for his age are quite extraordinary."

Daniel Cross says it's only a matter of time before young Dog Clay Smith gets a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination after missing out on the nod for Round 1 despite booting four goals on debut.

"I'm sure he'll probably get one by the end of the year, but that's for [the AFL] to decide," Cross said.

"Probably his full body cramp cost him, being subbed out of the game was unfortunate for him. But I'm sure Clay doesn't really worry about that. He was happy to get his first game and he contributed so well."

Clay Smith is perhaps the best story to come out of the Western Bulldogs' round one loss to West Coast after the youngster kicked four goals on debut.

"He was terrific," Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said.

"To see young people come into the game and just see the ball and go for it and put his body on the line and just compete so hard. You don't anticipate that a young guy is going to come in and kick four goals."

Clay Smith makes his AFL debut for the Western Bulldogs at Docklands Stadium with 13 disposals (10 kicks and 3 handballs), 2 marks, 3 tackles and 4 goals in a 49-point loss to West Coast.

Western Bulldogs youngster Clay Smith admits his experience of NAB Cup football was 'a bit scary'.

"I was rapt to get the first gig, and pulling the jumper on and going out there was a bit scary at first," Smith said.

"(There are) a lot of bigger bodies than what I'm used to. I'd never played a game of senior footy in my life - just under-18s and 16s stuff - so I'm looking forward to playing my first senior game when I get one."

Western Bulldogs recruit says he is excited to start his AFL career at the Bulldogs.

"I couldn't be happier," Smith said.

"It's only 3 1/2 hours from home (in Bairnsdale). They are a great club and at least I get to stay in Victoria."

Clay sports a tattoo on his chest that reads "Live the Dream".

"It has a bit to do with footy and a bit to do with life. It is awesome to be alive and I just want to make the most of my opportunities," he explained.