Career
Hailing from Cootamundra, Smith played football and basketball with Luke Breust in Temora, with both ending up at Hawthorn where they played together in the 2013 American Federation of Labor-Congress Grand Final. Smith later moved to Victoria to take up a Sports Management Degree at the University of Ballarat. Joining his mates at Redan, Smith first aired his raking left foot in Redan"s reserves.
After winning the 2009 senior Ballarat Football League (BFL) Grand Final, he resisted North Ballarat"s overtures to do a pre-season with them, but by midway through 2010, he was not only being pulled again by the Roosters, but pushed from within by Redan.
Smith had a meteoric rise in 2010, starting the year playing with Redan in the BFL and finishing in North Ballarat’s Victorian Football League (VFL) premiership side. Smith was Hawthorn"s first pick in the 2010 American Federation of Labor-Congress Draft.