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Thomas Smith

1851 – 1909

Australian footballer

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About Thomas Smith

Lived 1851 – 1909 (aged 57–58). Thomas Smith was an australian rules football player and tailor.

Thomas George Smith (1851 – 16 December 1909) was an Australian football player. He was a foundation player of the Football Club in 1870 and was also an inaugural player in the club's first SAFA season. During the first three seasons of the SAFA, he won 's best and fairest award.

Early life Thomas Smith was born in 1851 in Woolwich, England. His family brought him to Australia when he was three years old.

Football Smith was arguably the first star player for the Port Adelaide Football Club. He won three consecutive best and fairest for Port Adelaide during the first three years of the South Australian Football Association (later SANFL) from 1877 to 1879.

On 29 May 1885 a football match on Adelaide Oval was organised by the SAFA between an All-Indigenous team captained by Harry Hewitt and a combined team selected by the then retired Smith, composed of players from Port Juniors, LeFevre Peninsula, Fitzroy and Kingston Football Clubs. The match was very close and ended in a draw.

Later life Smith worked as a tailor on Commercial Road, Port Adelaide.

Personal life Thomas Smith was a cousin to Australian artist Mortimer Menpes.

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Important facts

Born
1851, Woolwich
Birth century
Also known as
Thomas George Smith

People in Thomas Smith's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Thomas Smith's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Thomas Smith?

Australian footballer

When was Thomas Smith born?

Thomas Smith was born in 1851 in Woolwich.

When did Thomas Smith die?

Thomas Smith died on 16 December 1909 in Adelaide.

What was Thomas Smith's occupation?

Thomas Smith was an australian rules football player and tailor.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Thomas Smith

· Wikidata: Q19577925

· DBpedia: Thomas Smith (Australian footballer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas Smith. https://biography.guide/thomas-smith-australian-rules-football-player/

MLA: "Thomas Smith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-smith-australian-rules-football-player/.

Chicago: "Thomas Smith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-smith-australian-rules-football-player/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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