NICK Smith has a plain name, but he is no ordinary player. He is one of those unfortunate types that gets handed the jobs no-one else wants too much.

This week he was playing on Geelong star Steve Johnson. The previous week he was on St Kilda goalsneak Stephen Milne. It's no wonder his coach John Longmire suggested that Smith might find it difficult to drift off to sleep the night before a game.
 
Well he can rest easily in the early part of this week after a job well done. Johnson only kicked one goal and was rushed and under pressure all day. Milne only kicked one the week before too.
 
Smith is an unassuming player yet Longmire clearly trusts him. He had 10 possessions, eight contested, and laid four tackles. He knew Johnson was going to get his hands on the ball but the idea was to limit the damage. "Obviously he (Johnson) is a super player," said Smith. "I did get a lot of help today. The main thing is that he runs hard forward so if I could match him doing that by running defensively it went a long way to helping but he still got a bit of the footy. He is a clever player and of course he is going to get possessions because he is a good player."
 
The midfield assisted Smith ensuring that Johnson received few gilt-edged opportunities and he ended with 17 possessions and only three score assists. Smith suggested that having a stable defensive line-up contributed to their effort in reducing the Cats' score, a team effort required to limit Johnson. "Getting a settled back six or seven definitely gives you a lot of confidence," he said.
 
Smith's confidence has been building since he was elevated from the rookie list, after attending Scotch College and playing for Oakleigh under-18s, making his debut in round 5, 2008, coincidentally at Skilled Stadium against Geelong. He has played 36 games in the past two seasons, including 21 this season, and is due to play his 50th AFL game next week.
 
He has slotted in as a player who can be relied on to take the opposition's most dangerous medium sized forward, allowing Rhyce Shaw to provide the run and carry out of defence. It is not a glamorous job but according to the coach that is the last thing Smith is concerned about. "The boys in the backline just go about their business. They fly under the radar a bit which suits them," said Longmire.
 
The 23-year-old Smith wasn't getting carried away with the win or his performance. He spoke with care and maturity after the game understanding the context in which the result had been achieved. While he said this was the best win he had been involved in as a Swans player he admitted it was one that came with mixed emotions, given the sadness surrounding his captain Jarrad McVeigh. "The boys are elated now but 'Macca' and the McVeigh family are in our thoughts," said Smith.