Mt Gravatt ruckman Andrew Smith is the round 6 QAFL Syd Guildford nominee.
Smith was destructive in the Vultures win over UQ; he was the catalyst to their centre-clearance dominance.
“I thought my own game wasn’t too bad, but it always helps when you have a couple of good rovers around you like the Hamill brothers and Hubert, but I enjoyed it,” Smith said.
“I think a lot went right on the weekend. Our processes are starting to come into play a lot more, and it’s starting to pay off. We are building towards something and Saturday was a step in the right direction.”
The 23-year-old not only gave the Mt Gravatt midfield first use, but was influential right around the ground, something he said is important as a modern day ruckman.
“I think that being an extra midfielder is where you want to be as a ruckman these days. It’s not just about the hit outs, it’s about getting the footy when it hits the deck as well. That’s the aim, whether or not I’m doing that is a different thing,” he said.
Smith returned to Dittmer Park at the end of last year, after a stint in the NEAFL with Redland. It’s no coincidence that the Vultures are on the rise this year.
“I’m really enjoying my footy again, which is the main thing. You play a lot better footy when you are enjoying it. I’ve gotten back to where I want to be, and I’m liking where the club is going as well, so it’s shaping quite nicely,” he said.
He said the number of players in the reserves that can step in and play a role is a real strength of theirs.
“We have got a lot of depth this year, which makes it so much easier to put your best 22 on the field. It creates a good environment both on and off the field, which benefits everyone,” Smith said.
The vibe is up around Dittmer Park at the moment, but they can’t be hanging their hats on last weekend, they have a big game against Morningside in three days time.
“Obviously we are not getting to ahead of ourselves, but leading into this week, it’s always handy having a healthy win. It’s a good feeling around the place,” he said.
“No doubt we will be competitive. If we do what we have been training to do, we will be more than competitive. We will be raring to go, which we always are against the archrivals.”
A win this weekend would go a long way to ticking off their long-term aspirations.
“I think for us to be competitive in finals is the goal. You have to get there to start with, and then see how far you can take it,” Smith said.
Mt Gravatt take on Morningside this Saturday at Jack Esplen Oval from 2:00pm.
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles
