AFL Bans Star’s Preseason Fashion Statement Following Cats Match Reveal

The AFL has confirmed Bailey Smith will be shut down from any future use of the Nike sweatband he rocked during his highly-anticipated first appearance for Geelong.

The Cats’ star recruit caught the eye during his first competitive match since 2023 as his team defeated the Hawks’ by 16 points in a pre-season scratch-match at GMHBA Stadium on Monday.

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One of the biggest stories of the 2024 AFL Trade Period, cameras were focused on Smith as he played competitively for the first time since leaving the Western Bulldogs after missing the entire 2024 season with a knee injury.

Those cameras showed Smith wearing a white sweatband across his forehead which included a black Nike “swoosh” badge.

As first reported by Channel 9 journalist Tom Morris, Smith’s Nike fashion accessory was permitted for Monday’s game, but will not be approved for any future use.

Bailey Smith is on trend. Picture: Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia

The AFL has confirmed to news.com.au Smith is permitted to wear a sweatband during the 2025 season — but, like every player in the competition, is not allowed to flash branding of any apparel manufacturer. This extends to gloves, wristbands and other accessories.

Every club has it’s own official jumper manufacturer, but any additional branding beyond socks, shorts, jumpers and boots is not included in the league’s rules and regulations.

Smith has not been seen wearing sweatbands during training sessions for several years, but was seen wearing an official Geelong cap during pre-season training sessions.

He was previously seen wearing a red Nike sweatband while training with the Bulldogs.

Bailey Smith walks out with teammates to face the Hawks. Picture: Michael Klein.Source: News Corp Australia

The AFL previously informed Melbourne’s Jayden Hunt in 2017 that his triple-coloured headband did not meet the rules and regulations, with the league communicating: “Headbands worn during a match must be unobtrusive and hair or club colour”.

Smith, 24, has bigger things on his mind as he seeks to hit the ground running for the Cats.

There is already pressure on Smith to recover the form that saw him widely regarded as one of the best players in the competition in 2021 and 2022 — after the Cats forked over the No. 17 draft pick.

Smith is famously one of the most marketable players in Australian football with many corporate sponsorship arrangements, including a rich deal with Geelong sponsor Cotton On and the face of deodorant line Stuff That Matters, alongside NRL star Kalyn Ponga.

The Cats next face Essendon in Geelong on February 25.

If judging only from reports of his first competitive hit-out on Monday, Geelong fans will be very pleased with what they see from Smith.