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Adelaide's Smith hit in eye by golf ball

3 minute read

Adelaide backman Brodie Smith has been hit in the eye by a golf ball but is cleared to play his 200th AFL game this Sunday against West Coast.

BRODIE SMITH of the Crows.
BRODIE SMITH of the Crows. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Adelaide defender Brodie Smith has been cleared to play his 200th AFL game after being struck in the eye by a golf ball.

Smith copped a golf ball in his right eye last weekend in a freakish incident.

"I putted on a par three, walked over to my bag which was next to the green," Smith told reporters on Thursday.

"And literally looking down as I took a step, the ball landed just at my right foot and came up and hit me in the eye.

"No fore call from behind which was pretty poor by him ... (he) had no idea that he had hit me."

Smith was checked by a club doctor the following day - after completing his round of golf.

"I wasn't seeing stars or anything like that and finished off the round which I probably shouldn't because I played terribly anyway," he said.

"But there was no concern around any injury ... I just had to tick it off with the doc clearly because I walked in with a big shiner.

"It was a weekend off, I had to make sure (coach Matthew Nicks) Nicksy knew it was on the golf course, there was no incident."

Smith, an 2014 All Australian, will play his milestone match against West Coast at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Both clubs are coming off horror losses - the Crows were kept to a club-record low score of 2.9 (21) in a 63-point loss to Essendon while the Eagles suffered a shock 10-point loss at home to last-placed North Melbourne.

Smith said while Adelaide's paltry score attracted most attention from pundits, it was their lack of defensive pressure which was idenitified internally.

"It wasn't so much our offence, we looked at our defence pretty closely and unfortunately we just made it way too easy for Essendon.

"The big games we have won, our pressure has been our standout thing ... and that wasn't there so we made it very hard for ourselves."

Adelaide's attack appears certain to be bolstered by the return of experienced duo Taylor Walker and Tom Lynch.

Walker missed the Essendon loss because of a neck injury while Lynch has played two state league games since toe surgery - he hasn't featured in AFL ranks since round six.

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