2013 was a breakout year for Isaac Smith.
Since making his debut for the Club as a 22 year old in 2011, Smith has spent time playing in various roles to learn different aspects of the game but the story was much different this season.
The Hawthorn speedster became one of Hawthorn’s most damaging players and was a key part of the Club’s Premiership success.
His run through the midfield and ability to link-up across half back was invaluable and his ball use improved.
Known as one of the league’s best runners with a big engine, Smith is not only damaging through the midfield but also because of his ability to push into defence and run hard forward. His pace, combined with his stamina makes him a hard player to match up on and opposition teams discovered why in the second half of the year.
He added goal kicking to his game, booting 18 in his 24 matches this year, which were often reward for his hard-running.
Smith made a solid start to the 2013 season with 23 disposals and a goal in the Round 1 loss to Geelong followed by 18 touches against the Eagles, 20 against Collingwood and 23 against Fremantle in Round 4.
He averaged 18.76 disposals in the opening 15 rounds but his best was yet to come.
The 24 year old was outstanding in the win over Port Adelaide in Round 16, earning three Brownlow votes for his 26 disposals, nine tackles and three goals – it was probably one of his best ever games for the Club.
He backed up that performance with another brilliant performance against the Bulldogs the following week, when he gathered 27 disposals and took eight marks – but it was his run and carry that was most damaging in that victory.
He earned two Brownlow votes for that performance.
Smith raised his disposal average from 18.76 to 21.36 between round 16 and the Grand Final.
One of his best performances came in the side’s disappointing loss to Richmond, where he gathered 29 disposals, laid four tackles and kicked a goal in difficult conditions that didn’t suit his style of play.
He was also impressive against the Kangaroos in Round 22 with 22 touches, five tackles and a goal.
By the time finals arrived, Smith had become one of the key ingredients to Hawthorn’s desire for premiership success and everyone knew it.
Criticised at times for a perceived lack of pace through the middle, Smith made the line-breaking role his own and showed why he was taken as a first-round draft pick in 2010 – he has the ability to be as damaging as any of the elite players in the competition.
By the end of the year, he had become one of Hawthorn’s most dangerous and damaging players and was duly recognised as such by media commentators who suggested he was the man opposition teams needed to tag rather than the likes of Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge.
Opposition coaches agreed, and Smith was tagged in the Qualifying Final by Sydney’s Dan Hannebery who is known for his running capacity.
But Smith, whose ability to cover the ground is almost unrivalled was able to still find space and outwork his man.
He was a consistent performer in the finals series and a valuable player in the Grand Final with 18 disposals, six marks, three tackles and who could forget that 55m bomb to give Hawthorn the momentum at the start of the last quarter?
Smith has now played 62 games and had settled in to his position at the elite level, the sky is the limit for him in 2014.
What Chris Fagan said: “It was a breakthrough year for Isaac.
“He’s had an impact since the day he arrived but we all thought he took his game to another level this year, so much so that teams were tagging him towards the end of the year.
“He and ‘Hilly’ provide us with so much run and excitement and who’ll ever forget that goal he kicked at the start of the last quarter in the Grand Final?”
Smith in the news in 2013
- Smith extends contract, happy at Hawthorn
- Smith’s confidence building
- Smith eyes consistency
Videos featuring Smith in 2013
- Smith re-signs
- Smith on his 50 games
