TAYLOR Smith knew leaving Brisbane would make her life harder. That was partly the point.

Smith could have stayed comfortable, remaining in the system where she had built her career. Instead, after winning premierships and claiming both All-Australian selection and the League's leading goalkicker award, she chose Sydney, leaving family, friends and her partner behind to start again and challenge herself.

Her first season has delivered exactly that.

And when Smith considers what her late father would make of the move, his philosophy helps explain why she made the biggest decision of her football career.

"I think he would just be proud that I challenged myself," Smith told AFL.com.au.

"He was always big on finding ways to improve yourself and grow as a person. I think he'd be really proud that I went out of my comfort zone and did something harder than just staying put."

Smith requested a trade ahead of the 2026 NAB AFLW season, believing she needed a change of scenery to pursue her ambitions beyond playing, particularly her goal of working in football commentary. Sydney offered her the chance to pursue both.

Before joining the Swans, she spent five years with the Lions, where she developed into one of the competition's leading key forwards.

But changing clubs meant much more than leaving a successful football system.

Smith left her support network behind, had to learn a new gameplan, dealt with injury and further appreciated that true growth often comes with struggle.

"Being a key forward in a new team is difficult, learning new people and new systems, but I've progressed quite nicely and learned an insane amount," Smith said.

"Sometimes you think, coming in as an experienced player, 'How much can you learn?' But I've just learned so much. It's been amazing.

"For most of my career, I was only coached by Craig (Starcevich). Coming here and now being coached by Colin (O'Riordan), it's systems that I've never seen before.

"It's hard to break old habits when that's all you've known your whole football career. So it's definitely been a challenge."

Beyond football, relocating without her usual support network has at times been taxing. Smith and her partner, Tom, have spent the season navigating a long-distance relationship while pursuing their respective careers.

"Being somewhere new and not having as much of an outlet outside of footy is challenging," she said.

"I've always been someone who really prizes balance. So not having that as much has been hard and exhausting.

"Not having your best friends, family, or partner around, not having your network and the people you call who don't know what footy is to go hang out with, not having those things is definitely challenging."

Commentary opportunities offered an outlet earlier in the year, giving Smith some of the balance she had been missing, despite her limited availability during the AFLW season.

On the field, the transition has also pushed Smith to expand her game.

Her average of 10.5 disposals per game is up from 8.4 in last season's Grand Final campaign and marks a career high, while her 3.2 marks per game are also a career best. 

While she is not on pace to match the 22-goal haul that earned her the League award in 2024, she has still kicked 12 goals in 11 games. That drop partly reflects a significant change in her role following teammate Ally Morphett's season-ending ACL injury, which has required Smith to spend more time in the ruck.

Smith is averaging 11 hitouts per game, including three to advantage, up from 2.2 hitouts last season and comfortably the highest mark of her AFLW career.

That adjustment became more difficult when Smith missed rounds three and four after fracturing her forearm during Sydney's round two win over Essendon.

Initially expected to miss three to four weeks, Smith recovered quickly.

"Once I found out what it was and how stable it was, I was pretty determined that it wouldn't keep me out for long," Smith said.

"I know my mum wasn't thrilled at that; she was like, ‘Oh, you should heal it properly'. But as an athlete, with only 12 games (in the regular season), you're always playing a little bit underdone. That's just the way elite sport goes; you're never 100 per cent."

Smith attempted to return in round four but aggravated the injury during the warm-up and was a late withdrawal. Soon after, however, it "turned a corner".

As frustrating as sitting out was, Smith now believes those two full games on the sidelines gave her body the time it needed to recover and helped set up a stronger second half of the season.

"In hindsight, I think about the four girls on our list who have had season-ending injuries, and I realise I'm in a very lucky position to have experienced something really minor," Smith said.

"The perspective from those girls is really good."

Smith's willingness to embrace discomfort is a mindset she traces back to her dad, Shaun, who died suddenly from a heart attack in October 2021. He was 52; Smith was just 21 at the time.

"My parents were really good at just letting us forge our own paths," Smith said.

"There was never, 'Oh, I think you should try this or do this'. It was always, 'Whatever you want to do, we'll support you'.

"That's one of the most important things they could have done for my brother and me, just letting us be our own people and pick the paths we wanted to."

Smith's mum, Tanya, remains based in Brisbane but regularly travels to watch her play. Even after losing her husband, Tanya continues to attend games just as they did together, and will make the trip south when Sydney faces Geelong in Saturday afternoon's semi-final.

For Smith, having her mother in the stands provides a familiar presence amid the pressure of finals.

The 26-year-old doesn't expect her mum to make every game, but Tanya loves being there to support her daughter.

"Always having a familiar face, someone who doesn't care how you perform and is just happy for you either way, is really important and special," Smith said.

"In some ways, it's just as important for her to be there, too. Having family with you is always vital."

Smith has also used her platform to encourage people to understand their heart health risks and take preventative action.

Speaking publicly about such a personal loss can be difficult, but Smith finds some peace in knowing her family's story could spare someone else the same grief.

"There's a little bit of peace in knowing that you're continuing to share his memory and hopefully saving a few lives, whether that's one or a hundred," she said.

"If you've saved another young girl from losing her dad, that's what matters.

"There's peace in knowing I get to talk about him, what an amazing man he was, and keep his memory alive."

Smith cannot know exactly what her father would make of the life she has built since losing him. But amid a first season in red and white that has tested her in almost every way, she believes treading a difficult path is something he would be proud of.

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