The Hawks fell to Geelong for an 11th straight time on Saturday night, continuing an incredible run of close losses that started in round one, 2009.
With the two teams level on points at the top of the AFL ladder, a September showdown appears a real possibility.
And it's a prospect that holds no fears for Smith.
"It would be awesome [to play the Cats in the finals]," Smith told AFL.com.au on Monday.
"They're our biggest modern-day rivals, and there's a lot of talk about how we can't beat them.
"What better stage to do it on than in a big game?
"If we want to win it, we'll have to get past them, so we've got to figure out a way to do that.
"We haven't been able to beat them the last 11 times, but we're not far off – it's a goal or two every time.
"So if we tweak a few things, and get some things right, I'm sure we'll be fine."
Despite the final margin being only 10 points on Saturday night, Smith felt the Hawks had been "below par", although he also credited Geelong with playing particularly well.
He said Hawthorn's delivery inside forward 50 had been a major problem, allowing the Cats' defenders to dominate in the air.
"They're a bloody good side," the 24-year-old said.
"We played into their hands; we kicked it back to them a lot.
"They've obviously got [Harry] Taylor and [Andrew] Mackie and [Tom] Lonergan who can take good contested marks, and they got numbers back quickly and controlled the ball.
"They had 89 uncontested marks for the night, so they just controlled the game from there.
"We really struggled to get the ball in possession and then hold onto it and put them under enough pressure."
A win over the Cats would have taken the Hawks two games clear at the top of the table and put them in the box seat to secure a home qualifying final.
Instead, they're now ahead of Geelong on percentage only, with Essendon, the Sydney Swans and Fremantle in hot pursuit.
But Smith was unfazed by the missed opportunity.
"It's pretty irrelevant," he said.
"If we want to be playing well in finals, we need to be winning going into the finals, and if we keep winning, we'll stay in the top two.
"So I don't think it really matters."
Hawthorn will look to bounce back this Saturday against Port Adelaide, which has stunned the competition with its rapid improvement this season, including recent wins over the Swans and Collingwood.
"They're a genuinely good side, and they could do a bit of damage if they get the right little run at the end of the year," he said.
The 'Kennett curse' was supposedly born when former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett claimed his club had a psychological edge over the Cats in the aftermath of its 2008 Grand Final win.
Nine of Geelong's 11 successive wins since then have been decided by less than two goals.
