Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Kenneth Smale

Known as
Ken Smale

Born
5 November 1933

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 21y 162d
Last game: 24y 319d

Height and weight
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 85 kg

Senior clubs
Collingwood

Jumper numbers
Collingwood: 5, 6

Ken Smale

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
CollingwoodV/AFL1955-195860981.6363%7.002.401
Total1955-195860981.6363%7.002.401

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 6,527th player to appear, 3,810th most games played, 1,098th most goals kickedCollingwood: 572nd player to appear, 306th most games played, 89th most goals kicked

Ken Smale arrived at Collingwood with a glowing reputation acquired as a prolific full forward with Warracknabeal. However, although he made a solid start to his VFL career he never fully managed to justify his high reputation, Between 1955 and 1958 Smale played a total of 60 league games, kicking 98 goals. He topped the Magpies' goal kicking list with 47 goals in his debut season, and 33 the following year, and was a member of the club's losing Grand Final team against Melbourne in 1955. Three years later, when the 'Pies scored their noteworthy upset Grand Final win over the Demons, Smale was on the bench for what proved to be his last game of league football.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.