GEELONG coach Chris Scott has set talented 22-year-old Billie Smedts the challenge of cementing a spot in the Cats' best 22 in 2015 after his indifferent season last year.
Smedts, who was the club's first choice in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft, has not managed to show more than glimpses of what he is capable of since making his debut in round one, 2012.
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A broken leg during last year's pre-season was a significant setback and he played his first senior game against the Sydney Swans after just one game in the VFL.
It was a tough initiation as the Swans thrashed the Cats by 110 points.
Smedts never really found form afterwards, playing just six games for the season to finish his fourth year at the club with 33 games next to his name.
He has been earmarked for a defensive position in 2015 but Scott said he was flexible enough to play in any part of the ground.
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"The issue for Billie is not so much where he plays, it's how well he plays," Scott said.
In the final year of his contract Smedts has knuckled down in the pre-season and is hopeful of establishing himself as part of the Cats' line-up.
Scott sees no reason why he can't make himself a permanent fixture of the team but says it's up to Smedts to force his way into the club's best 22.
"I am confident in his ability and if he gets somewhere near his potential then he should be in our best 22," Scott said.
