Season in short:
The high-flying Roarke Smith delighted Footscray fans throughout 2015.
The rookie spent the majority of the season at VFL level, delighting with his courage in defence and contested marks.
The 19-year-old made his senior debut in round 21 against West Coast, described by Rohan Smith as a “baptism of fire”.
Despite the eye-opening welcome to the world of senior football, Smith didn’t disappoint and was rewarded with a one-year rookie contract extension that will keep him at the Club until the end of 2016.
In a disappointing end to Smith’s season, he underwent a traditional knee reconstruction in August after rupturing his ACL in Footscray’s final home and away match.
What they said:
“It’s been a long 12 months, I didn’t think I’d be here today from where I started last year. It’s been a huge step but it’s been such a good year, I couldn’t have come to a better club at a better time.” – Roarke Smith, September 2015
“I see a lot of Easton Wood in Roarke, which is a fair wrap for Roarke… He’s so athletic, he’s got a great leap, he’s a really good contested mark… He makes good decisions with the footy and we saw some real glimpses of Roarke being able to play some good defensive games at VFL level... There’s a lot of upside for Roarke.” – Rohan Smith (Western Bulldogs Assistant Coach), September 2015
