Melbourne. When Barassi rejected that proposal and insisted on a clearance to the Blues, some Melbourne officials unfairly accused Smith of ridding himself of a potential rival. Another factor was Smith's sometimes acid tongue, which he sometimes turned on committeemen he felt were interfering in his domain. This facet of the Smith personality put him in a difficult situation when he was sued by an umpire for defamation. In defending the action, Smith found no support from the men running his club. Finally, the situation exploded on the Friday night before the round 13, 1965 match against North Melbourne. A courier delivered a termination notice to Smith at his home. When the news leaked to the media, it created a sensation, arguably the most dramatic news story in Australian football history. Smith made an emotional appearance on television on the Sunday and speculation was rife that he would replace his ill brother, then coaching Richmond. Although he was reinstated within a week, he never again enjoyed his old relationship with the club. The Demons won only one more game for the year and missed the finals for the first time in eleven years. In a matter of a few dramatic months, Melbourne's dominance was dismantled. The Demons would not make the finals again until 1987; Melbourne would ultimately win the 2021 Grand Final. A brief return to the finals After two more disappointing seasons, heart disease compelled Smith to resign from Melbourne at the end of 1967. It was a sad year for the Smith family, as brother Len had succumbed to a heart attack just months before his adopted club Richmond won the premiership. Feeling sufficiently recovered, Smith surprised many by accepting an offer to coach South Melbourne in 1969. At Albert Park, Smith pulled off what was considered one of his best coaching performances by taking the down trodden Swans to the 1970 semi final, their first finals appearance since 1945. However, the under-resourced and under-confident Swans couldn't sustain the effort and finished last and second last in the next two years. Smith resigned after the 1972 season. Death and legacy Norm Smith was only 57 when he died of a cerebral tumour at his home in Pascoe Vale on 29 July 1973. He was survived by his wife and son. Smith's influence was wide-ranging. He increased the importance of the coach in Australian football with innovations such