On the other side of the 24-year-old Tamworthian's Christmas break is an intense workload and juggling act unlike anything he has faced before.

Having decided that surveying is the career he will devote himself wholly to, Smith will soon start a spatial science degree (surveying) at the University of Southern Queensland.

He will do it online while also working full-time as a surveyor at Bath Stewart Associates, where he has been employed for the past five years.

"I already have certificates in it through TAFE," he said of surveying. "So I can continue to work in it as I am. But I wanna go get my registration so I can sign-off on plans, just learn more about it."

"I think it's a great job," he added. "I'd recommend it to everyone."

Working and studying full-time will be burdensome enough. But Smith, an affable young man, has decided to complicate his life further by stepping up to become the South United Football Club's new vice-president.

He has been at the club for 19 consecutive years, beginning in under-5s. In that side was his best friend, Daniel York, whom he has known since kindergarten and who is Souths' new president. Both men were on the club's committee last season.

Luckily for Smith, he said he fell asleep "quite easily". But unluckily for Souths' reserve-grade captain and goalie in 2023, he added: "And then after a couple hours into the sleep you wake up and go, 'Oh, I forgot to do that, or I need to do this.'"

Despite his upcoming heavy schedule, expect the Tamworth High graduate to always be polite in his dealings with people. He abhors boorish behaviour.

"Please and thank you - a bit of manners," he said.

Smith and York hope to usher in a new age at Souths in terms of the promotion of women's soccer and juniors.

"We spend a bit of time together, how it is, and we always talk about football," Smith said. "So now we've got something else to kind of feed off it as well - more serious and that."

The last time the Leader spoke to Smith and York was in August, 2017. They had just been the linesmen for a clash between the Newcastle Jets and Northern Inland at Scully Park.

At the time, they were the youngest Premier League referees. They dreamed of officiating matches at the highest level.

Now, they only referee when needed.

York, who has replaced Mark Ross as Lightning president, played first grade for the club last season.

"We've just taken a younger committee on board," York said, adding that Ross had "taught us a lot on how to move forward with the club".

"So we thought now is as good a time as any to have a crack at it and see what we can do."

York, who works in sales at TNA Bus Hire, is exactly where he should be. After doing a one-year sports management diploma at the University of Newcastle upon graduating from Farrer, he spent another two years bartending in Newcastle.

But then his friends finished their degrees and went their separate ways.

"So I just thought it was time for me to come home, to where all my friends and family were," the 24-year-old said. "And I got back into soccer straight away and haven't looked back."