Ruthless and persistent both on and off the field, Clay Smith is not one to hesitate or hold back.

While his willingness to jump head first is masked by his easy-going demeanour off the field, his on-field persona proves that if the ball is there to be won he will go for it - if he gets hurt, he’ll get up and go again.

“I have always just been one to not hold back, I always want to do something or try something new - not scared to try something,” he said.

“I am a bit more calm off the field, pretty easy to get along with and chilled out but as soon as I get out on the footy field it is a different me.

Watch Barry Hall interview hard-nut Clay Smith on the media player above.

“If the ball is there to get then I am going to go and get it - if you tend to think about what is going to happen to you that is when you are going to get hurt.

“I have grown up like that and that is how I play, so I don’t hesitate too much.”

Fitting the hard-at-the-contest, physical, ruthless mould that Senior Coach Brendan McCartney regards so highly, Smith’s hard work over the pre-season was quickly rewarded.

Lining up in round one of season proper, Smith made a name for himself early with four goals, 13 disposals and three tackles on debut.

Despite exceeding his own expectations, playing ten games so far this season, he is adamant to break back into the senior side and end the season on a high.

“I like to set high standards for myself but… I have probably exceeded where I wanted to get to when I first got here onto an AFL list,” he said. 

“When I go back to Williamstown in the VFL I still enjoy that back there but I would much rather be in the AFL team.

“I want to get back into the senior team and hopefully that happens in the next couple of weeks.

“I want to try to hold my spot there until the end of the year - play some good footy and finish the season on a good note.”

Alongside father-son selections Mitch Wallis and Tom Liberatore, Smith is seen as part of a core midfield group that will take the Bulldogs forward and while honoured to be named in those plans he is more focused on right now.

“It is a really exciting time I think… you keep very positive because you know that we are a young list and we have a new coach in and new things that we need to learn and a new game style,” he said.

“We are doing parts of that but we just need to do that more consistently… it is going to be a really exciting time going forward.”

While the future may seem distant to some, the Gippsland Power recruit can already see parts of the plan coming to fruition.

“The biggest thing would probably be the pressure around the footy and cracking in - but I think the biggest improvement that we have had to make and are getting better at is our defensive decisions and our defence,” he said.

“If we can set that up better it is going to help us with our attack and our ball movement and our control.

“It is a whole team thing, but for me as well to not hunt to footy the whole time and to look away from the contest and cover the exits and stuff like that - it won’t just help me but it will help my teammates.”

With one of the most selfless and resilient  team mates Liam Picken appointed as his mentor, he does not have to go far to get advice surrounding his defensive game.

When the 19-year-old first arrived at Whitten Oval he was told to do some research about his new mentor.

Picked up with the Bulldogs first round draft pick (pick 17 overall) in November last year, Smith’s road to AFL was more traditional in comparison to that of Picken who worked relentlessly in the VFL for four years before given his football chance.

“They said just go and have a read and see how he got to the Club because you are pretty much coming in on a red carpet compared to him,” Smith said.

“To read the story that he went through, you just really respect where he has come from and he is probably one of the most respected players at our Club.

“I admire him and how he got to the club and what he had to go through.”

While their stories could not be more different in how they got to the Western Bulldogs, their persistence and willingness to put their body on the line for the Red, White and Blue could not be more alike.