Past Clem Smith

Remove this Banner Ad

Jeremias

Jeremias

Moderator
Veteran Sweet F.A. Reigning Premiers - Gumbies - SFA Wickzi Week Gumbies FFC - Sweet F.A. 10k Posts 30k Posts Podcaster
Sep 26, 2004
46,207
62,608
AFL Club
Carlton
Welcome to Carlton :thumbsu:

Pick 60: Clem Smith

Clem Smith

Club: Perth
DOB: 3/2/1996
Height: 177cm
Weight: 77kg

Considered by the smart football people as a dynamic small defender/midfielder, Clem, a 2013 All-Australian, is any opponent's worst nightmare.
Click to expand...

Pick 60: Clem Smith

New Blueboy ready for the big smoke

“I’ve been dreaming about this all my life. I’m definitely going to make the most of it with the Blueboys and make a great career out of it.”
Click to expand...

New Blueboy ready for the big smoke
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #2
AFL Draft Tracker:

Energetic small defender/midfielder who can break the game open with ferocious attack on the ball and dash from the contest. Finished first in the agility run at the NAB AFL Draft Combine with a time of 8.09 sec and performed well in the kicking test with a score of 26/30. An Under-18 All Australian in 2013, he averaged 17 disposals (8.2 contested) in six matches in this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. Member of NAB AFL Academy Level 2 squad.
Click to expand...

Skippos 2014 Phantom Draft:

Clem Smith (WA, Ferocious and versatile small defender)

177 cm, 78 kg, 3/2/96
Range: 30-70
Style: Byron Pickett
Comparison: Neville Jetta

Clem Smith does a lot wrong, so it'd be best to start with that. He'd battle with Mitch Robinson for being the most care free and reckless player around. No player attacks the ball harder. Smith won't slow down or back out of the way when he sees another player, instead he'll just brace and speed up. He hits hard and he hits well - and as a result he gives away a good few free kicks and will cop plenty of weeks across his career. This is unlikely to change - extreme physicality is what defines Smith, and unfortunately that definition is beginning to hurt him with many considering it, and by extension him, a real liability. His kicking is also something that people are going cold on. Some describe him as a terrible kick but they're wrong. His kicking is no different to the rest of his game - it's physical and hard. Clem struggles to execute simple and deft short kicks. It's almost as if having to slow down his leg and take some power off the ball doesn't compute because over 15-25 metres he's clanger central, especially when he's running at pace. He just can't find his radar.

Over longer distances when he can really kick through the ball Clem is actually quite a reasonable kick. His long kicking technically is very solid and he achieves some real penetration. He's capable of executing some really high degree of difficulty kicks and making them look easy. He's by no means an elite kick over distance but I think he's probably 'good' - and there's enough present already with his technique and what he 'can' do to indicate that he could well be some real upside. While his physicality has some drawbacks which are well publicised - there's a lot of good about it as well. His defensive pressure is fantastic, he's a great tackler and when he does stick a crunching tackle or block it's a massive boost for the team. It'll be frustrating when he gives away a high tackle free 15 metres out from goal, but I'd bet that he saves more goals with his pressure than he'll give away. He's also a really quick and nimble ball runner, something that's often forgotten. I'm confident Smith will find a role at AFL level and make the grade. His speed and tenacity give him some real scope to be an elite shutdown defender, while his tendency to attack should at least give him some scope to contribute offensively. Forward he's shown some aptitude and could potentially be utilised as a high pressure small forward in a similar way to Paul Puopolo. As for a comparison, Smith plays football a bit like Byron Pickett but he also reminds me a little of David Wirrpanda aside from with ball in hand. Neville Jetta is probably the most applicable current day player.

Evaluation of his prospects:Clem has the game to make it at this level however his application must lift. His beep test at the combine was borderline offensive for a player who's had the support and system around him for so long. If he can lift his application he'll find a niche at AFL level provided clubs can tolerate his occasional ill discipline.
Click to expand...

Knightmare 2014 Phantom Draft:

40. Clem Smith(WA - Util)
Height:177cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 03/02/1996
Recruited from: Perth
Draft range: 15-rookie
Best position/role:Forward pocket as a tackling specialist.
Strengths:
Does all the hard stuff –Smith is not a big guy and not tall either but he has a rare presence to him with the way he hits guys, bumps, tackles and hits the contests harder than anyone else on the field.
Acceleration –Smith has excellent linebreaking ability and enjoys taking on the game and proving meaningful run and carry which he does frequently in game.
Chasedown tackling -In addition to using his pace to take on the game Smith also uses his pace very well to chase down the opposition player with ball in hand and is someone who will find that extra gear to go even harder after the man whenever there is a chance to tackle them, just enjoying that side of the game to that extent.
Versatility –Smith has the ability to play in the back half as a linebreaker, in the front half and occasionally push into the midfield.
Bodywork in the contest –Smith uses his body well in the contest and has the ability to work into front position and protect the drop zone, reading the flight of the ball well.
Goalsense –Not that Smith has played forward much but in the small glimpse I have seen of him forward he has shown good goal sense and the quick ability to get the ball onto his boot.
Proven performer –Smith both in 2013 and 2014 has been among WA’s best performed players, really putting his stamp on games and finding strong numbers. He has also this year in WA played 10 games at League level and one game at reserves level, and in all games had 10 or more disposals which suggests to me that he will have no difficulty playing against bigger bodies at AFL level, even as a sub 180cm guy.
Weaknesses:
Footskills –Smith’s work by foot is a work in progress and at this point badly lacks consistency, often either over or underkicking the ball and also shanking it too frequently. He just seems to rush things all the time and also lacks composure and when under pressure will look to just get it onto his boot quickly and blast away to no one in particular.
Tackling –Hard and aggressive as he is with his tackling just burying guys in his tackles, he consistently goes in too high with his tackles and at too great a speed, hitting the man at full pace, without slowing up for that one step to bend the knees and get down low for the tackle. The result of this is he led all comers through the U18 Championships in free kicks against, with too many free kicks against given directly as a result of his poor tackling technique.
Lack of discipline –There is a difference between intent to win the ball and intent to injure guys and Smith is current on the intent to injure guy’s side of the spectrum. He has some real fight and aggression to him which is terrific but channelling that aggression and hard edge I expect will remain a challenge.
Endurance –Smith badly lacks endurance at this point, testing poorly for endurance at the draft combine. He visibly has high skinfolds and I imagine it would be a combination of poor diet and laziness contributing to this.
What I expect will improve:
I expect Smith while he can improve, I imagine he will remain much the same frustrating player he is today as a smaller type who has a feel where he will always be rough around the edges. I imagine he will continue into the future to frustrate with his footskills, lack of discipline, lack of endurance and his high tackling so he is someone you take based on whether you are happy with who he is today and feel he can play a role for your team.
Who he can become?
Clem Smith has long had Byron Pickett written all over him as that hard but undisciplined, talented sub 180cm indigenous footballer.
When will he be ready to play?
Smith is season one ready to play if looking for an injection of hardness and physical play given what he has already achieved through the U18 Championships and at WAFL League level.
How to best utilise him?
Smith’s best chance of making the grade and becoming a long term player I feel will be in the front half in a forward pocket as a small pressure forward who while he has mostly played up the field feels uniquely suited to this role as someone key forwards I imagine love to play alongside with his tackling intent.
Interpretation of his numbers:
Smith is an exceptionally well performed footballer accumulating excellent numbers through the U18 Championships for the past two seasons and also showing that he is capable of playing against more seasoned bodies at WAFL League level, finding 10+ disposals in each of his 10 games and averaging over 15 disposals per game. His free kicks against numbers both through the U18 Championships and at WAFL League level are concerning and far too high with his free kick against numbers the highest of all participants through the U18 Championships. His disposal efficiency is also is low and will need to improve.
Click to expand...

Snoop Dog 2014 Phantom Draft:


46 West Bulldogs - Clem Smith
I think the Dogs could really use an aggressive type at HB or HF who is a bit of swingman depending on the situation. Smith is your bloke but have to get him fit first and why I think a chance he might slide.

# 52 Richmond - Clem Smith
Club: Perth
Height: 177cm
Weight: 70kg
Position: Small utility
Bio: Was named in the AA team after last years champs. Elite junior but one that has probably drifted through the year and could well be a bit of bargain. Strong bodied player who loves a contest and is almost reckless at times in his attack and want to make a contest. He reminds a bit of Byron Pickett who at the same age was a similar player. Can play at either end and wouldn’t mind betting he starts as a small fwd until he builds out. His defensive pressure is great and he has good hands and competes well 1:1. His ball use is good and the only knock on him is he probably isn’t as consistent as you would like him to be. Another has who played senior footy this year and hasn’t looked out of place. Needs to be fitter I would think given his results at DC.

Why: I think his fitness is under par and hence he drops. Could even be lower than this but heaps to work with and nice fit for Tigers. Cunico is a player I really like and the WA kid Boekhurst would walk in.
Click to expand...

Gee Dub's Phantom Draft:

32. North Melbourne – Clem Smith (West Perth)
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Player Comparison: Mitch Robinson (more defensive)

The negatives are often talked about more than the positives with Smith but I feel that is unfair on the kid. He may not be a good kick, rather he is a very poor kick, and he may be small but he is extremely quick and hard at the ball which is a lethal combination. He is exceptionally quick and this helps him chase down opponents and he averages a high number of pressure acts each game, because even though he may not catch his opponents he causes them to kick hurriedly. He loves to lay a crunching tackle or a big block and his teammates feed off that stuff. If he can learn how to kick he will be a very good defender, but due to his pressure and attack on the ball you can carry him in your team without the elite kicking skills many defenders possess.
Click to expand...

Mad Monday Show - Clem Smith Player Profile:

STRENGTHS:
Attack on the Contest: Clem Smith is a player who is extremely hard at the football and contest, who loves everything to do with the physical side of the game. His tackling is strong and he loves getting his hands dirty in contested situations, he has terrific strength and explosive power.

Versatility: Smith has shown at Perth and for WA that he can play a multitude of positions, he made his name in the back-line as a running player, however this season he pushed up forward and caused issues as an extremely agile, powerful goal-kicker. He’s also capable of pinch-hitting in midfield as a brutal, aggressive, dynamic presence.

WEAKNESSES:
Skin Folds and Endurance: Clem’s long distance running ability is still well below the standard of a draft prospect, let alone an AFL footballer. Clem’s skin folds were far and away the worst at the Combine and he carries far too much weight for a small player, impacting his ability to run for long periods. His 3K Test score was the worst at the Combine and he failed to reach level 12 on the Beep Test. Smith will be a benefactor of being in an elite sports environment when he is drafted, he should be able to cut down on his body fat levels and his running ability.

Kicking Skills: Clem’s kicking lacks class and he’s not a particularly damaging kick, he also lacks composure with the ball. He looks much better as a ball user in the forward half than rebounding from half-back.

Over aggression: Too often, Clem plays the man and not the ball and he gives away free kicks because of this. He lacks discipline in his attack on the ball and is too often a liability for his side. Clem needs to know when to dial down his aggression.
Click to expand...

2014 Player Profile: Clem Smith

Raff Guadagnino, WAFL: ”On talent alone Clem would arguably be our best player. He’s hard and aggressive and he can change games. Once he gets into an AFL environment and is doing it every day, he’s going to come on really, really quickly.”
Click to expand...

2014 Player Profile: Clem Smith

2014 Western Australian Draft Prospects:

Clem Smith – 177cm – 74kg - Small forward/ Midfielder – (Perth)
Strengths: Speed, agility, toughness and on field aggression.

Weaknesses: Kicking.

Physical small rebounding defender come midfielder. Gifted with great vertical leap, agility and acceleration he's been compared to Cyril Rioli and the comparison with him isn't completely invalid.

One thing your going to love about Smith is his attack on the contest, he's fearless for a small player. You'll find him bumping bigger players off the ball, putting his head over the ball when needed and attacking contests at full pace.

For me at the moment the biggest weakness is his kicking. He's just not as reliable as id like him to be, he's certainly capable of being damaging because he's reasonably creative. It's more that he's prone to shanks and miss kicks too often.
Click to expand...

 
Last edited:

Log in to remove this ad.

Clem says "bring it on"

ClemSmithOfficialArticle_620X370.jpg


"I had a look (at Pickett's highlights) on YouTube and there's definitely similarities there," Smith said.

"If they're (opponents) in my path, I don't mind (cleaning them up)."
Click to expand...
 
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #10
This kid has some serious talent, forget about this years 18's carnival W.A. were poorly coached and team selection at times was a joke. Clem is just waiting to expode onto the AFL stage, going on talant alone should have gone top ten. Brilliant pickup and will thrive under Mick & Wiley As I said before Smith and Walsh are the diamonds in the ruff, brilliant recruiting and cant wait to see how they go learning off the best
 
Clem has a very lively way about him on the track, that's hard to miss.
Early days of course, but he does look very good in the way he goes about his work at training.

He clearly needs some shaping, along with a much better fitness base from reports, but we won't really know just how well he's tracking until we see him through the intra-clubs and other practice matches.
 
This guy is an exciting prospect.

He got shafted at the start of the year when he played as sub but came on in the first quarter.

Will be interesting to see what he delivers next year.

With the right leadership he could be anything.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

good to see young climmy has plenty of go in him... the current training block has not been tiring him out too much...
 
Really looking forward to seeing Clem this year trained so well in the off-season, anyone who watched him as a junior or has a view on it where is his best position i cant really work out where we would fit him into our best 22.
 
Great to hear about renewed commitment and energy from Clem this pre-season.
Lets hope he continues his applucation during 2016 season and develop his talent.
 
Hi Clem

I've chosen you to be my buddy for the year.
I'll follow you everywhere so there will be no stepping out of line.....just hard commitment to your employer :)

Clem has surprised with his endeavour, skills and commitment through the pre-season and has every chance to establish himself in the main squad.
Just has to learn to not try to do too much and to look out for team-mates and he'll be half way there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top