FORMER University Cougars junior Josh Smith has capped a memorable week for Darling Downs Australian Rules after becoming the region's second player to be picked up in the AFL draft.
Smith was snapped up last Friday by Collingwood as pick 25 in the second round of this year's AFL Rookie Draft.
The 21-year-old will join former Lockyer Valley Demons junior Wylie Buzza in the national competition.
Buzza was picked by Geelong with pick 69 at Tuesday night's AFL National Draft and joined the Cats last week.
Smith moved from Toowoomba as a junior to Morningside before joining Redlands in the NEAFL competition where he's played for the past two years.
His playing honours include being named Redlands Rookie Of The Year and winning selection in the Queensland Senior Team Of The Year.
Smith has had previous contact with the Collingwood club but admitted to being "surprised" by his recruitment yesterday.
"The rookie draft is essentially for teams looking to top up their player lists after the national draft," Smith said.
"Normally they look for younger blokes around 18 and for me to be picked up at 21 as a mature age recruitment came as quite a surprise.
"But it's great and it looks like all the hard work has finally paid off.
"My family is still in Toowoomba, but I left there four or five years ago with the hope of being drafted.
"It's taken a bit longer than I'd hoped but it's a good feeling to get there eventually.
"I've got good memories of my early years at the Cougars and I'm really grateful for the help of Jeff Neumann and Keith Webb who were real pillars for me during my development years."
Smith is preparing to train with Collingwood as early as Monday.
"I'm still talking to the club and it's all been a bit of a whirlwind today," Smith said.
"But at this stage I could be flying down on Sunday afternoon for training on Monday."
AFL Queensland Regional Manager for the Darling Downs region Keith Webb said Smith's drafting to Collingwood has helped break new ground.
"This is a really good reward for Josh's years of hard work," Webb said.
"We are all pretty stoked here at the moment to have our second junior after Wylie drafted in the same year.
"We have only ever had two players get picked up previously in our entire history."
Story by Gelen McCullough (The Chronicle 28.11.15)
Last Modified on 16/05/2017 09:37
