Smith was a founding member and signatory to the foundation document of the Melbourne Football Club.
According to some sources (including himself in an 1876 letter to The Australasian[2]) he was one of few people to be present at the meeting of the incorporation of the club on 17 May 1859.
He was also the first captain to take a team away from home when Melbourne played the Geelong Football Club and won.
In 1864 he was suspended from teaching due to his sharp temper and strict discipline before resigning from his position in 1875.
[5] He moved to South Australia and in 1876, wrote to The Australasian from there to speak out against what he perceived as poor journalism from which had overlooked his role in the foundation of the Melbourne Football Club.