AFL draft: Smith nabbed by Hawks

Isaac Smith was a certainty to be selected in last night's AFL national draft.It was just a matter of which team would choose the 2010 North Ballarat Roosters premiership player.Hawthorn was the one to pounce with selection 19 nearing the end of the first round of picks.His recruitment by the Hawks completes a remarkable year for Smith, who began with Redan in the Ballarat Football League and then after representing the BFL, and Victoria in the Australian Country Football Championships, joined the Roosters in the VFL mid-season.Smith, 22, took just three games in the reserves to force his way into the seniors and then in his sixth senior appearance played in a VFL premiership, putting on a performance which caught the eye of most AFL recruiters.Smith, speaking from his home town of Cootamundra in New South Wales, said it was fantastic to be going to one of the big clubs in Victoria.He said he could not wait to get into pre-season training and earn the respect of the club. Smith said he was eager to make the most of the opportunity he had been given.He thanked Redan and North Ballarat for all they had done for him.Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald said the drafting of Smith reinforced the pathway North Ballarat offered."Here's a boy who came to Ballarat for university, developed his game with Redan and then was able to go to the next level in the VFL, thanks to a good relationship with a local club."It's a win-win situation."FitzGerald said it was great the way Redan had encouraged Smith.Redan coach Brendan Peace said Smith was a remarkable story — going from playing in a Redan premiership (in 2009) to an AFL career within a year.He said the Lions had encouraged Smith to take his game to the next level at every opportunity, going from inter-league to state football and then the VFL."It's most satisfying to see him where he is now,'' Peace said.Smith follows Cam Richardson into the AFL from North Ballarat's premiership team.North Melbourne secured Richardson in a deal with Gold Coast Suns in trade week.