[2] A ruckman, Smith was recruited from North Reservoir Football Club and won two best and fairests for the Collingwood Under 19s[3] before making his senior debut in Round 5 of the 1961 VFL season, against Fitzroy at Collingwood's home ground Victoria Park.
[3] Smith's first season with Sturt saw him become one of the leading ruckmen in the SANFL, winning selection for South Australia and named in the Adelaide Advertiser's Team of the Year.
[3] Smith however continued to battle injuries, missing almost the entire 1963 SANFL season to a knee injury and was then hit by a car in early 1964, eventually leading to his retirement.
[3] Following his retirement, Smith ran coaching clinics for juniors, including trips to regional South Australia.
[5] In April 2024, it was revealed that Smith was battling Non-Hodgkin lymphoma but was still well enough to meet some of the current Collingwood squad when they were in Adelaide.