“I think it always sits somewhere in your head, like you think about it every now but I just tried not to think about it too much,” Smith said.
“Just wasn’t going to change anything if I thought about it so I sort of just went about my own thing.
Watch Clay Smith speak exclusively with BulldogsTV about his draft day experience on the media player above.
“I was still working and stuff so that sort of took my mind off it and then the night came around.”
Smith attracted interest from a number of clubs after testing well at the AFL Draft Combine and relished the chance to meet and compete with some of the country’s most talented AFL prospects.
“I did all the testing and tested pretty well and it was a good couple of days - you meet a fair few boys that obviously play against them [or] play with and stuff,” he said.
“It was a good experience and [I] spoke to a few clubs and that, but yeah it was just a good couple of days.”
The teenager only had to wait until pick 17 in last year’s draft - the Western Bulldogs first round selection - before hearing his name called out.
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Smith’s initiation into the Club was possibly less confronting than his fellow draftees, having moved in with teammate Liam Jonesbefore training started on the Monday.
“I was pretty lucky I got to come down a couple of days before because I was from the country and moved all my stuff in with Jonesy - so sort of got to know a couple of the boys that came around to see me,” he said.
“So I knew a couple [of teammates] before I got in on the Monday, but, yeah obviously you come in and you just see all the faces of stars and that and you are just a bit shell shocked.
“I don’t reckon it really sunk in to me that I was at an AFL Club and that I was going to be a part of an AFL list for about a week but after that then you start fitting in and get into a routine.”
