BRODIE Smith is desperate to cement a place in Adelaide's midfield in 2012, but admits he occasionally questions whether he can.

"Sometimes you do think 'what do I have to do to get in front of these guys and keep pushing for selection?'" Smith said.

"The new guys who have come in this year have all been really good so everyone's on their toes trying to keep their spot."

Competition at Adelaide is the strongest it's been for years, due largely to the club's superb NAB Cup run and a short injury list.

And Smith, who played 14 games last year mainly as a wingman, wants to command a position as an inside midfielder after excelling in the role as a teenager.

Smith averaged 22 disposals a game at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships in 2010, performances that saw him earn All Australian honours and selected at No. 14 in that year's NAB AFL Draft.

"My year in the Under-18's I was an inside midfielder, obviously I was the same size as everyone else there, but coming into the AFL I was pretty skinny and played more of that wing role on the outside," Smith said.

"If I can keep putting some more size on hopefully I can get into the midfield and play that inside role as well.

"I've got a little bit where I can play down back and in the midfield as well, but if I can add that inside game to my game I'll be a lot better."

The 20-year-old has worked hard to build his body up since he arrived at West Lakes, packing on 6kg to his then 78kg frame.

He said the added bulk has helped his confidence heading towards round one, as has surviving a full year in the AFL system.

"I've got a bit more size this year, so I guess a lot of confidence comes from that," he said.

"Just being fitter and having that year under my belt; I know the boys a lot better, I know the structures a lot better so I'm a lot more confident going into games."

Smith said Saturday night's NAB Cup Grand Final against West Coast was not only a great and final opportunity to impress before the season, but also an experience to treasure.

"I know it's only NAB Cup, but it's a Grand Final and you always want to win a Grand Final," he said.

"It's the closest you're going to get to a home and away game … so a lot of the boys will be pushing themselves to have a really good performance and get that round-one spot."

Harry Thring covers Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.

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