[1] Smith spent his early years in the southern Riverina town of Finley (NSW) before moving to Queensland with his family at age 11.
He only played a few games for Morningside in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) in 1985 before he was approached by the Swans.
[2] He had just joined the Queensland Police Force but on the encouragement of his father, who had been a South Melbourne supporter, decided to make the move to Sydney.
Due to business commitments, he left the Swans at the end of the 1988 season, to captain-coach Sydney club North Shore.
[3] After retiring from football, Smith became a successful property developer and promoted the schoolies week on the Gold Coast.