By Marc McGowan
Josh Smillie heard, and read, it all.
As a 195-centimetre midfielder who thrives on physicality, Smillie swiftly earned the tag of “Patrick Cripps 2.0” – and entered this year considered a leading chance to be the AFL’s No.1 draft pick.
Patrick Cripps clone Josh Smillie is one of this year’s top AFL draft prospects.Credit: AFL Photos
The 18-year-old Park Orchards junior, who models his game on Cripps, even shares the same agent – TGI Sport’s Matt Bain – as Carlton’s dual Brownlow medallist.
That connection led to a meeting with Cripps that transformed his mindset, after a self-confessed “up-and-down” season where he missed All-Australian under-18 selection and fell short of the mighty expectations placed upon him.
“Definitely early on, I was all over what was being written about me. I think every boy was,” Smillie told this masthead ahead of next month’s draft.
“You see your name in things, and it’s hard because family and friends are very invested in everything I do, which I’m very grateful for. I might be in the paper one day, and my nan prints it out, and she’s very proud.
“But I’ve come a long way from where I was at the start of the year. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw anything about myself because I hate it. I feel better not worrying about what people think of me ... it sounds weird, but I’m probably two, three or four months dry of not reading [about myself].”
Smillie (pronounced “Smiley”) credits Cripps for many of those changes, which go beyond just avoiding the media coverage his football achievements increasingly attract.
He took a notepad with him that day, then scribbled the Blues captain’s words of wisdom onto the whiteboard in his bedroom that he reads every morning when he wakes.
“It was pretty surreal, and we clicked straight away,” Smillie said.
“I was just being myself, asking honest questions about how he goes through everything; just the pressure pieces, how he still enjoys footy – all the little things. He was unbelievably great to me, giving me so much advice ... I was pretty lucky to get that opportunity because a lot of people don’t get to meet their heroes.”
Smillie might no longer be in the No.1 pick discussion, but there remains plenty of intrigue and optimism about what he could become.
One recruiter who spoke to this masthead even used Lance Franklin’s draft year as a comparison, saying a player’s potential is often every bit as important as their performances.
Smillie’s draft peer Jagga Smith, a fellow midfielder, even chose him as the player he would select with the first pick, on the same logic as the talent scout.
Josh Smillie, pictured at the AFL draft combine, is one of the most promising players in the 2024 crop.Credit: Getty Images
“When he’s at his best, I think Josh Smillie is the best player in the draft. It’s his ceiling, and what he could be,” Smith said.
Richmond, who have an extraordinary seven first-round draft picks this year after agreeing to trade Daniel Rioli, Shai Bolton and Liam Baker, are among the clubs most interested in Smillie.
Tigers list boss Blair Hartley coaches at Park Orchards, where his son plays, and lives only a few minutes from Smillie, although they didn’t know each other that well until Richmond’s recruiting team interviewed him.
Smillie, an Essendon fan, likes the sound of joining the Tigers’ rebuild at effectively ground zero.
“I’d want to walk straight into the club and [make an impact] from day one,” he said.
“I’m a very determined player, and I want the best for myself and everyone around me … just because we’re 18 years of age, it doesn’t mean we can’t change anything.”
Smillie averaged almost 26 disposals and five clearances, plus 1.3 goals, for Eastern Ranges this past season. His numbers were less gaudy at the national under-18 championships, but he still racked up nearly six clearances and seven score involvements per game.
It was about that time, mid-year that recruiters started nitpicking Smillie more, questioning his running capacity and ability below his knees – and some even suggested he might be better at half-back.
“It’s been an up-and-down year, and now that I’m finished playing, I reflect on it and all the things I’ve done well and what I can improve on,” he said.
“But if I was thinking about where I was last year [compared to now], I’d be very proud of myself. There have been some challenges along the way, but I’m pretty proud of the way I’ve gone about it.
“It’s been a real learning curve for me, and I’m proud of my determination and how hard I’ve worked at training.”
Smillie is still tipped to be a top-10 selection – and if not, he won’t last much beyond that – but he will be thrilled just to be on an AFL list on November 20, whether it is at the Tigers, Bombers or another club.
“I think what separates me is my uniqueness of being a tall midfielder and pretty versatile,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, the pick’s just a number and whichever club picks me up, I’ll be happy. It’s been a dream to play in the AFL ever since I was a kid, so to sort of be living it right now is pretty awesome.”
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