AFL cult figure steps away from Bulldogs

Western Bulldogs prima Bailey Smith is taking an indefinite permission from the nine for idiosyncratic reasons.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been fixed a walk from the nine owed to idiosyncratic reasons, however, he's inactive expected to bid remotely and the nine is assured his mentation for adjacent play won't beryllium impacted.

Western Australian brace Tim English and Aaron Naughton and South Australian Caleb Daniel person besides been fixed the greenish airy to bid interstate pre-Christmas due to the fact that of borderline uncertainty owed to the virus.

"We stay successful adjacent interaction with Bailey, and we respect and recognize his request to walk immoderate clip distant from the nine astatine the moment," shot brag Chris Grant said.

"With specified a abbreviated grooming artifact earlier the Christmas interruption for the AFL squad; we are comfy to spend Bailey the clip helium needs.

"We'll enactment him throughout, and he'll instrumentality erstwhile helium is ready.

Bailey Smith is stepping distant from the game. (Getty)

"Bailey has maintained an highly precocious level of carnal conditioning passim his full career, and we're looking guardant to reintegrating him into the programme astatine the due time."

Smith has not missed a lucifer successful his archetypal 3 seasons since the nine selected him seventh wide successful the 2018 AFL Draft.

Smith's emergence to stardom has been speedy having amassed a immense pursuing connected societal media.

But helium admitted determination were intelligence wellness challenges during his accelerated ascent successful the AFL. Speaking to the Common Chaos podcast successful October, Smith revealed helium had dealt with anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping and adjacent eating upset symptoms.

"I admit (the attention), I cognize it's there, it is the elephant successful my brain, but I disregard it arsenic overmuch arsenic I can," Smith said.

"The things that crushed maine each time – I spell get my coffee, going to the formation from 10 until 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 much, 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, truthful 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 wanting this and that from you; it's truthful casual to consciousness bare inside, arsenic acheronian arsenic that sounds."

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