The rangy wingman (190cm and 79kg), originally from Cootamundra in southern NSW, began the 2010 season with Redan in the Ballarat Football League. Halfway through the season, after much ground work from North Ballarat, he agreed to try out in the VFL.
Smith played three games in North Ballarat’s reserves and then made a huge impression after stepping into the Roosters’ senior team. His ability to leave opponents stranded enabled him to play in a premiership in just his sixth senior game with Roosters.
Smith would add much-needed pace to Geelong’s line-up. He would also continue the Cats’ recent pattern of drafting mature-aged players from state leagues, some of whom include Cameron Thurley (No.22 in 2003), Mathew Stokes (61 in 2005) and Harry Taylor (17 in 2007).
Such a recruiting practice subscribes to the Moneyball principle of drafting mature players rather than teenagers because there is more hard data on which to make judgements. (Moneyball is a book about Major League Baseball club Oakland Athletics’ revolutionary recruiting practices.)
Geelong gained the No.15 choice in the 2010 draft after trading one of their compensation picks for losing Gary Ablett to Gold Coast.
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