WESTERN BULLDOGS midfielder Clay Smith believes the club's faith in re-signing him has given him the confidence to move on from a horror run of injury and illness.
Smith recommitted to the club for a further two seasons on Monday, but the new contract is one the few things the 21-year-old has been able to get excited about over the past 12 months.
His unfortunate stretch began back in round 16 last year, when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while quelling the influence of Essendon star Dyson Heppell.
Then, just when he was just about to make his return to the senior line-up in April, Salmonella poisoning struck down Smith and teammate Christian Howard.
After recovering from losing eight kilograms with the illness, Smith then badly injured his right shoulder in the Dogs' round 10 loss to Gold Coast, his first senior game in nearly 12 months.
The injury will see him remain on the sidelines for at least another month.
"I've had a fair bit of bad luck the last 12-18 months, but hopefully that's it for a little while now and I can get back and play a few games of footy in a row," Smith said.
"The club showed some faith after I had a good first couple of years, and they're happy to stick with me and I'm happy to stick around.
"I'm stoked to get another couple of years."
The support of coach Brendan McCartney has also been reassuring for Smith, with the rugged on-baller the first player drafted by the Dogs in the McCartney era.
McCartney's contested-ball game plan was one of the main reasons the Gippsland Power product was recruited with the club's first pick (17 overall) in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft.
"Me and 'Macca' have a great relationship, and he's been great for me so far," said Smith
"Before the draft, he came down and met my family in Bairnsdale and said they (the club) had a lot of interest in me, which gave me a lot of confidence.
"It (game plan) obviously helps my style, the way he likes the game to be played.
"It's a win-win."
