Smith made his debut in round 1 of his very first season, 2011, against Hawthorn. He played 14 games in his first season and showed plenty of maturity for a first-year player, averaging 13 disposals per game. He played 22 games including three finals in 2012 as a running defender, shutting down opposition forwards such as Steve Johnson and providing run off half-back, also becoming noted for kicking goals from long range. Despite fracturing his collarbone in the 2013 pre-season, Smith played the final 18 games of the season, continuing to play mainly at half-back. He played his 50th game in round 19 against Port Adelaide and gathered a career-high 29 possessions in the last game against West Coast.