RECRUITING Eleanor Hartill has played a major role in the breakout season of Brisbane forward Taylor Smith, says coach Craig Starcevich.
Smith has been a revelation in 2024, leading the competition with 13 goals through six matches, kicking the match-winner against Adelaide on Sunday.
The two-time premiership player has been a terrific foil alongside Dakota Davidson, and previously Jesse Wardlaw, over her five seasons at the Lions, but has taken on a dominant role this year.
Starcevich said recruiting Hartill from West Coast has allowed Smith more time in the forward line, as opposed to the diet of back-up ruck minutes she has previously consumed.
"That's allowed her to focus on her craft as a forward and spend more time working on her leading patterns and everything that comes with being a tall forward," Starcevich said.
"It's a never-ending job to master the flight of the ball in the air, the body work, your running patterns. She's been able to spend a lot more time practising her forward craft."
Smith was pivotal in the season-shaping win over the Crows at the weekend, kicking the go-ahead goal with less than three minutes remaining.
Set shot goalkicking hasn't always been her strong suit, but the 24-year-old has been a dead-eye in the first half of the season, kicking 13.5 for the best accuracy of her career.
"It's great for her confidence to absorb the pressure of the moment," Starcevich said.
"It's not the hardest shot on earth, but it's still got to be made.
"They're the ones from 30m out directly in front that if you don't make, people talk about.
"She had a game here last year, against Collingwood, where she missed a few from close range.
"That comes with the territory of being a forward, you're going to be devastated some days because you miss the easy ones, but I reckon since then she's been pretty good with her set shots."
On the back of five consecutive wins, Brisbane is preparing to head south and take on Carlton on Saturday night.
Starcevich said the reigning premier was getting closer to its best football.
"We're building and we're layering each week, but we've still got some tidying up to do with our fundamentals.
"Moving the ball from one end to the other is starting to look the way we'd like it to, to give your front half the best chance to score."
