Smith eyes off a spot in inaugural Thunder team
IF the cards fall right for Subiaco premiership player Marty Smith, the Nyoongar man from Western Australia will represent the Northern Territory in Queensland, Darwin and Alice Springs.
It's a unique scenario and a possibility Smith never imagined when he joined Nightcliff in the NTFL for a brief stint in 2008. But it could become reality if the 23-year-old does enough on the track after being invited to train with the Queensland-bound Northern Territory Football Club's Darwin-based squad.
Smith was one of seven new additions to the Thunder squad this week.
Smith rejoined the Tigers for the 2008/09 season after another frustrating year in the WAFL which at one point saw him leave the Lions for East Perth in the pre-season, only to return when the club wouldn't release him. Smith played just six games for Subiaco last year, taking his five-season tally to just 44 games.
While not getting ahead of himself, Smith plans to stay in the Top End this year. If that means playing with the Thunder during his WAFL sabbatical, he'll take it.
"I actually didn't know they had a team until I got to Darwin," Smith said yesterday. "Majo' (Thunder coach Michael McLean) had a talk with me about it and he said to work hard and show them I'm keen to play. I'm definitely keen."
"I won't be going back there (to Subiaco) this year. They’re aware of that."
Smith, who joined Subiaco in 2004, missed two of the Lions' 'three-peat' premierships due to injury (2006, 2008) but was fortunate to be fit to win a spot in the 2007 triumph over Claremont. He said making adjustments to football in the Territory took some time.
Nightcliff coach Mark Motlop has Smith playing mostly out of the middle. At the Lions, he was positioned at either half-back or half-forward.
"I didn't know what to expect at first," he said. "The weather for one is totally different. It's like playing wet-weather footy. It's also a totally different style from the WAFL where there's a bit more structure, and you build up to attack. Here, it's like a shootout; straight for the goals the whole time."
Nightcliff's bid to play finals is effectively over after losing to Wanderers last week.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Last Modified on 14/02/2009 20:02