Name: Zac Smith
Height: 205cm
Weight: 100kg
Age: 25
Games: 65
Goals: 31
Drafted: 2010 local talent access selection (Gold Coast)
2015 trade: Joined Geelong for two third-round selections (currently 49 and 53).
What the 2015 AFL Season Guide said: Just when it looked like Smith was finding form after 12 months out of the game following a knee reconstruction, he suffered an ankle injury to halt his season five weeks early. With fellow ruckman Tom Nicholls sustaining his own long-term knee injury, Smith was rushed back into the senior team in round nine against St Kilda despite not having played a game since rupturing his ACL the previous year. He impressed in his first few outings, but having to play as a sole ruckman and lacking match fitness, began to slowly taper off before his latest setback. Smith has great mobility around the field but is still trying to develop his aggression around the stoppages.
Where will he play? Smith is an out-and-out ruckman. While he's been tried forward, he's had limited success and is best used purely on-ball.
2015: Smith split time between AFL (11 games) and NEAFL. At senior level it's fair to say his form was mixed. He was trialled in tandem with Nicholls, but really struggled in the forward line. When given the sole ruck responsibility over the final three weeks he showed he could hold his own.
Best season: Undoubtedly his first year in 2011. Smith took the competition by storm with his leaping and mobility around the ground and finished third (behind Dyson Heppell and Luke Shuey) in the NAB Rising Star award. Since then an assortment of knee and ankle injuries has disrupted his continuity.
Why Gold Coast traded him: Smith had plateaued and fallen behind Nicholls in the pecking order. With his lack of versatility, it was best he look further afield to have a legitimate shot at regaining a number one rucking role.
What is he good at? Smith's centre-square leaping is among the best in the competition. His mobility around the ground is excellent and he can provide a valuable link between defence and attack.
What does he need to work on? The big knock on Smith for the past few years has been his lack of physicality – he can be pushed off the ball a little too easily at times. However, at age 25 and with five seasons under his belt, the time could be right for Smith to mature and come into his own.
