Ross Smith, former Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), has been inducted into the Australian Football League’s (AFL) Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Melbourne on 3 June.

Smith was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the development and growth of the Australian Football League as a player, coach and administrator.

Football greats Wayne Carey, Brian Dixon, Stan Heal, Tony Shaw and Gavin Wanganeen also joined Smith as the latest inductees to the AFL Hall of Fame.

Smith’s induction is a fitting tribute in a long, distinguished and successful career with more than 40 years service in Australian sport.

Among his career highlights, Smith served as AIS Deputy Director (1988–90) and Head of AIS Sport Science and Sports Medicine (1989–90).

As a sportsman, Smith played 234 games for St Kilda AFL football club (1961–72, 1975), kicking 231 goals and playing in the 1966 AFL premiership.

He won the club’s best and fairest award in 1967 and 1971 and the Brownlow medal in 1967.  

He then went on to coach St Kilda in 1977.

In other key roles, Ross served on the AFL’s national coaching committee for 16 years between 1975 and 1990 and then became a member of the Australian Football Foundation's technical committee for five years.

Smith has been chairman of the AFL's Research Board since 2004, a body that has played a significant role in the education, coaching and administration of the AFL.