In summary:
The crowd is left in disbelief when the likes of Eddie Betts, Charlie Cameron and Steven Motlop pull their best tricks from the bag.
When the dust of their magic is made to disappear it’s unheralded players like Sydney’s Nick Smith who’s the master behind the curtains.
Smith did in 2018 what he had done for 10 seasons prior, quietly playing a shutdown role on the opposition’s most damaging small forward.
As coach John Longmire said ahead of his 200th AFL appearance in Round 9, Smith is a player who “typifies what we aspire to be”.
Smith averaged 14 disposals per game in 2018 and again quelled the influence of a host of dangerous small forwards, including Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard and Richmond’s Daniel Rioli.
Smith injured his hamstring in Round 21 and spent the remainder of the season in the stands, but the 2012 premiership backman featured in every one of the Swans’ first 20 games of 2018.
What the numbers say:
Games: 20
Kicks: 135
Handballs: 153
Disposals: 288
Marks: 90
Tackles: 52
Rebound 50s: 58
AFL Fantasy: 59.2 (average)
Best performance:
Round 13: Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles, SCG
Smith played a crucial role in the Swans’ hard-fought 15-point win over the Eagles in Round 13, gathering 20 touches and six rebound 50s and keeping star West Coast forward Mark LeCras goalless.
Milestone:
Playing 200th game
Smith played his 200th AFL match as Sydney cruised to a 59-point win over Fremantle at the SCG in Round 9. Smith, who made his senior debut in Round 5, 2008, is one of 26 Swans to have brought up 200 games.
What they said:
Nick Smith
“It’s such a great club with great people. To play 200 games and contribute has been very rewarding. We often speak about what you do with your time here and the legacy you leave, so it was a really big honour to play 200 games. To play the 200th it was about looking back. It is no doubt a long road, very fulfilling, but not easy at times as well. So it is definitely something you look back on and think, ‘I’m really proud of it’.”
Assistant coach Dean Cox
“Nick is admired within our four walls as much as anyone in the football team for the person he is, the player he is and the roles he performs. He’s a no-frills guy who gets the job done. He plays on some really dangerous players and continually makes it really difficult for them to have any scoring opportunities or impact on the game. What sets him apart from a lot of other players is his concentration and ability to stay on task and get the job done.”
In pictures:
Nick Smith breaks away from Port Adelaide's Jack Watts at the SCG in Round 2.
Nick Smith clunks a pack mark in the Swans' clash with the Crows at the SCG in Round 5.
Nick Smith is chaired off the SCG by fellow defenders Heath Grundy and Dane Rampe after playing his 200th match in Round 9.
Stay tuned for more season reviews at sydneyswans.com.au over the coming weeks.
