Geelong Cats: George Horlin-Smith on how he approaches 2018

LUCKLESS Geelong midfielder George Horlin-Smith says he will not let his contract situation distract him from the most important season of his career. And the best in the business are guiding him through.

George Horlin-Smith at the Cats community camp in Colac. Picture: Mike Dugdale

LUCKLESS Geelong midfielder George Horlin-Smith says he will not let his contract situation distract him from the most important year of his career.

Horlin-Smith has not had a clean bill of health for a whole season since 2014, when he played 21 of his career total of 47 AFL games, including two finals.

The 25-year-old has managed just 15 matches in the past three seasons, as he has battled with form, regular game time and knee and ankle injuries.

Horlin-Smith comes out of contract at the end of the season but he said he would not let that divert his attention from playing his role for the team.

“It’s certainly important (the 2018 season) from a contract perspective but if you think about the macro and the micro, and your performances from week to week, the contract side of things is not for me to control,” Horlin-Smith said.

“You work towards it, obviously, and try to do what is needed for the team, and the rest goes on in the background. There are a lot of things at play but you don’t want to go into games distracted and clouded in your thinking.

George Horlin-Smith and Scott Selwood with former Cat Cameron Ling (centre) at the Lorne Pier to Pub. Picture: Alan Barber

“It is an incredibly high pressured game and you need to go in with a really simplistic mindset, so to worry about those things in pressure moments can affect your performance.

“I’d love to have a really consistent season and be a reliable player. More than anything you play to have the trust of your teammates and to know that when you’re out there they can rely on you to do what is required at that point of time.

“For me it’s about making sure that I am clean and when I am in the contest I’m an effective player.”

Horlin-Smith has an ideal opportunity to press for senior selection early in the season thanks to the likely unavailability of Scott Selwood, who is recovering from ankle surgery.

But the South Australian, who has worked closely with Patrick Dangerfield and boom recruit Gary Ablett throughout the summer, said he would not be alone in chasing a spot in Geelong’s 22 for its Round 1 clash with Melbourne.

“It (Selwood’s injury) potentially opens up a spot but I wouldn’t say I’m the only person who is going to be vying for a position. Hopefully we’ve got a big squad of 30, 35 players that are all trying to squeeze into 22 and it’s obviously not my decision,” Horlin-Smith said.

“I’ll just continue to train hard regardless of who is available or not and hopefully put my name up.

“You pick up tricks from Pat and from Gary — he has been a really good teacher for the first few months that he has been here — so it’s more about bringing aspects of other players’ games and their knowledge into your own.

“They’re an amazing resource so it’s a really good opportunity for you to improve your game by adding thins from theirs.”

Originally published as Geelong Cats: George Horlin-Smith on how he approaches 2018