Australian Football

Prior to the 1920 season, the Illabarook Cape Clear football club was formed, coinciding with the establishment of the Rokewood and Cape Clear District Football Association, which was where the club would spend its formative years. In 1925 the club was reformed again as Illabarook, and between 1929 and 1936 it won an astonishing eight successive premierships. The 1937 season saw Illabarook on the move, seeking sterner challenges. Affiliating with the somewhat stronger Western Plains Football League the club reached the preliminary final in its debut season, and the following year won a flag in unusual circumstances at the expense of a Beeac team which actually won the grand final on the scoreboard, 9.5 (59) to 6.10 (46). However, it later emerged that Beeac had been guilty of fielding an ineligible player, whereupon the league ruled that the premiership be awarded to Illabarook.

The WPFL went into recess owing to the war from 1941 to 1945, and when it resumed Illabarook promptly added another flag to its haul. As with the 1938 premiership this one was won in unusual fashion via a grand final replay after the initial clash between Illabarook and Rokewood Corindhap was drawn. The Bulldogs won the replay by 26 points, 8.9 (57) to 4.7 (31). Two years later, they once again qualified for the grand final, only to lose heavily to Lismore. After a prolonged period of under-achievement Illabarook entered a brief halcyon phase during the late 1980s. Between 1987 and 1991 the seniors contested every grand final, for wins in 1988 against Cressy, and 1991 at the expense of Carngham Linton.

When the Lexton Football League and WPFL merged to form the Lexton Plains Football League in 1999 the Bulldogs were one of the new competition’s eleven inaugural members and enjoyed unbroken participation until 2011 when they crossed to the Central Highlands Football League (CHFL). In 2014, Illbarook changed its name to Smythesdale. A year later, the Bulldogs made unwanted national headlines for the ignominy of losing to Gordon by 429 points – a game which was the club's 72nd consecutive loss. The Bulldogs did manage two victories in 2016, but the writing was on the wall. Following crushing defeat after crushing defeat, by the 2017 season Smythesdale were only able to field one open-age team which was consigned to the reserve grade competition.

Midway through 2018, in an attempt to keep the club afloat, Smythesdale lodged a request to move from the CHFL to the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football League. They were also linked with a shift to the Mininera & District Football League; both of which amounted to nothing. These failed advances were compounded when the CHFL refused to allow Smythesdale back into the club, and in 2019 – despite having strong junior numbers, financials and a recently upgraded stand – the club was forced to fold.