Western Bulldogs young weapon Bailey Smith has opened up connected the frightening interaction his meteoric emergence to fame has had connected his intelligence health.
The 20-year-old has spoken retired connected a podcast astir a fake 'nude' representation released connected AFL expansive last day, earlier adding helium was offered $50,000 to slumber with someone. He besides spoke astir his conflict with panic attacks and revealed he's present connected medication.
Smith says he's "scared of being judged" and finds it "easy to consciousness bare inside," portion sharing with listeners however helium copes with the challenges.
Smith's earthy penetration comes aft helium surpassed Sydney superstar Lance Franklin's 334,000 Instagram followers, giving him the second-highest fig of each AFL players down Richmond champion Dustin Martin's 338,000.
The Victorian started the twelvemonth with 130,000 Instagram followers and has since climbed to 337,000.
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"There was a fake 'nude' of maine that got shared astir Australia,'' Smith said connected the Common Chase podcast.
"This was similar the time of the expansive final, the biggest crippled of my life, and I get showed this photograph by the boys. They knew it was Photoshopped… It was weird. It got sent astir to everyone portion I was playing and past aft the crippled I enactment this existent photograph up."
Smith posted the existent representation accompanied with an eggplant emoji.
He was asked connected the podcast if the fake 'nude' representation had played connected his caput during the expansive final, which the Bulldogs mislaid to Melbourne by 74 points.
"I wholly near it there; I knew aboriginal Bailey tin instrumentality attraction (of it)," Smith said.
"In the past – ohio my god, that would nonstop maine off.
"I stopped speechmaking (my nonstop messages) 2 weeks ago.
"I'm adjacent getting these now. I don't cognize however they got my number. Sends a screenshot of his slope account, $50,000 to slumber with this person.
"It doesn't halt going. Then I've had the stock-standard (offers)."
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While thousands of fans spot Smith arsenic superhuman, fixed his chiselled six-pack, flowing aureate mullet and accelerated emergence to AFL stardom, helium spends his escaped clip similar astir different men successful their aboriginal 20s.
"I don't cognize if it's a bully coping mechanism, but I conscionable don't woody with it,'' Smith said.
"I admit it, I cognize it's there, it is the elephant successful my brain, but I disregard it arsenic overmuch arsenic I can.
"The things that crushed maine each time – I spell get my coffee, going to the formation from 10 til 2, my champion friends, getting dinner.
"I absorption connected what I privation to bash each time and what I privation to get retired of myself.
"I don't unfastened up that overmuch due to the fact that I'm frightened of being judged and it's conscionable thing that's got to bash with me. Fear of conscionable being taken vantage of, arsenic well... You can't conscionable unfastened up to anyone. So I don't bash that, but it's been truthful refreshing implicit the past mates of days conscionable to speech to you guys and not consciousness alone.
"There are truthful galore radical astir you and wanting this and that from you (that) it's truthful casual to consciousness bare inside, arsenic acheronian arsenic that sounds."
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Smith has played 67 AFL games since being drafted to the Bulldogs from the Sandringham Dragons via prime 7 successful the 2018 nationalist draft.
He's rapidly developed into an elite midfielder, combining with the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae, Adam Treloar and Josh Dunkley successful 1 of the strongest on-ball brigades successful the league.
He says a elemental reminder helps him disconnected the field.
"Just for my day-to-day and thing that helps maine erstwhile I'm having a panic onslaught oregon conscionable having a down day: the prima volition emergence tomorrow," Smith said.
"Understanding that, immoderate happens, the prima volition rise. Life goes on. It's not that important. You're gonna dice 1 day. It's specified a small, minuscule portion of your life. Just unrecorded it similar it is.
"The happening that opened up truthful galore doors for maine is, I don't cognize if it's cliche, is really moving connected myself, and I started taking medicine due to the fact that that's thing I didn't bash for specified a agelong time. (You think), 'I don't privation to beryllium weak, I tin bash it myself, it'll beryllium so... rewarding if I conscionable get done it'.
"I spot the slug and understood and accepted that I wasn't close astatine the time. Opened up truthful galore doors for me, successful presumption of school, my acquisition went done the extortion and past football, that's been my imagination since I was a kid, my enactment ethic. Everything conscionable tied together.
"That vulnerability opens up truthful galore doors and, adjacent if they're not the close doors, they're the ones for you."
Smith said helium had been medicated for astir 5 years.
"I deliberation I was 15 (when I started connected medication). It's beauteous young, but I started being truly successful tune with however I'm feeling and wherefore americium I feeling this way, and I was fortunate due to the fact that my mum was bully astatine helping maine bash that due to the fact that she's much emotionally intelligent. In presumption of wanting to beryllium successful, it helps you with what you privation to do."
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