WHEN the Sydney Swans broke their four-game losing streak in thrilling fashion against Essendon in round 11, praise was heaped on the stellar efforts of midfield trio Jude Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh and Ryan O'Keefe - and rightly so. But no victory is won without the efforts of the entire team.

Gary Rohan and Jesse White were obvious contributors with three goals apiece, while Lewis Roberts-Thomson was important in the second half with strong marks across the last line of defence.

Less conspicuous - but no less important - were the sure hands and quick mind of defender Nick Smith.

Time and again, Smith was able to make good decisions in contested situations against the Bombers, underlining his new-found confidence as an important part of the senior team.

Smith, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday at AAMI Stadium in Saturday night's clash against Port Adelaide, said he was beginning to feel more comfortable at the top level after playing the past seven games.

"When you're in and out a bit, you feel like your spot's not secure. You've still got to play your role and do all of those things, but you do feel like you're a part of the team a bit more," he said.

"You're going to play better when you're confident, and you're making confident decisions and backing yourself. If you're half-hearted and that kind of thing, you're probably going to stuff up."

At 185cm and 78kg, Smith has a classic midfielder's build, but he has proven adept in a variety of roles in his 20 games to date.

Whether he plays half-back, half-forward or through the middle, no challenge seems to faze the former Oakleigh Chargers and Scotch College junior, but it's Smith's ability to rise to the occasion which has been the most impressive part of his 2010 season.

When co-captain Craig Bolton went down with an achilles injury in round four, Smith was chosen to quell the threat of dangerous West Coast forward Mark LeCras, and acquitted himself admirably.

Even more outstanding was his game on Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge in the Swans' narrow round nine loss at the MCG. Hodge had averaged 28 touches a game to that point, but Smith held the 2008 Norm Smith Medallist to just 14 possessions and a goal in a hard-fought contest.

A modest Smith described his form as "not too bad", and said he was simply focused on fulfilling the brief handed to him by the coaches each week.

"I've played on some pretty good players, so it's definitely been a challenge each week," he said.

"I just need to keep going and not rest on my laurels for the rest of the season. There's not much that you can do except focus on what you've got to do this week."

Mindful that he still has plenty to learn, Smith said the Swans' current blend of youth and experience augured well for the future.

"You've got Kirky (Brett Kirk) retiring this year and we lost a few blokes as well last year, so it's really good that we've got young blokes coming through and playing some good footy like Jets (Lewis Jetta), Gaz (Gary Rohan) and Dan (Hannebery)," he said.

"[The experienced players] aren't going to be here forever and not even that much longer in some cases, so you've just got to learn from them now and soak up everything you can."