Playing to his strengths and minimising deficiencies is what midfielder Clay Smith has set out to achieve this season, and his recent form proves he is on the right path.
The Gippsland Power recruit exceeded even his own expectations last year by playing sixteen games in his debut season, but Smith won’t rest on his laurels.
“It’s probably better than I ever expected, to get a fair few games under my belt last year and get to know what senior footy was like and to start this year off pretty well and play some alright footy – I’m very happy so far,” Smith said.
“I set myself up this year and I just wanted to be playing as much senior footy as I could and keep playing my role in the team to keep my spot.
“It’s been pretty good getting a stint up forward and playing on the wing and through the middle a little bit.
“It’s a different role but I enjoy it and I have been lucky enough to kick a few – it’s always good to kick a goal and it has been a good challenge for this year.”
The second year recruit has shown he will run through anyone that stands in his way to gain possession of the ball, but now he is finding his feet at senior level, the 20-year-old adding more focus to his kicking ability and consistency across games.
“I have been working on it flat out since I was 16 or 17 years old, but it is just progressing with practice and I get to practice a lot more here at the Club when we are here five or six days a week,” he said.
“It is concentration as well, with how I hold the footy and how I am kicking it and what I do with my feet and the targets that I pick.
“I just need to take the easier option and probably back myself as well – so it is concentration and confidence a lot now, but it is getting better.”
While he is seeing marked improvements in his efficiency in training, the next challenge is to ensure that he is able to replicate the kicking action when under fatigue during games.
“I work with Macca (Senior Coach Brendan McCartney) a little bit and I get [Development Coach] Chris Maple and [Specialist Coach] Linday Gilbee who comes in to take us for kicking and they have helped a fair bit,” he said.
“Obviously the facilities and the people you have to help you [at a football club] is massive.
“It comes with staying in the game and I have a few little reminders that tap me in now, and a few things that I write down, so that helps – it is pretty hard to play the game and think of the little things but it is what I am working on.”
Taking time out to see family and friends and step back from football in the bye week, Smith is ready to return for the remainder of the season and said he is noticeably fresher than this time last year.
“I think my kms in the GPS [results] and my game time has been fairly high but my body has been pulling up really, really well – it’s been good,” he said.
“I’ve been sub a couple of times and monitored a couple of times but my body has been in real good nick and I haven’t had an injury yet, so hopefully it keeps that way."
