A few bumps and shoves are on the agenda but no malice is ever intended.
A grinning Smith reckons some smart remarks in the background may be in order but it isn't something she has encountered yet.
"I guess there are so many things to focus on so you don't want to be distracted but in back play you just want to try to get into the defenders' head to make sure they are aware of you, with that little nudge."
Smith hails from the satellite town of Crookwell in NSW but has been based in Perth not long after her selection to the national squad in 2011.
Her natural progression to hockey stems from her father, Ashley, a NSW rep who played alongside his brothers.
"It runs in the family. I started playing when I was 5 and my sister played so that's what we did every Saturday."
It was "Minkeys" (hockey development programme) from the time she could pick up a stick with some authority before making the age-group stages to the green-and-gold class.
"We train professionally. We don't quite get paid professionally but, yeah, we're quite professional," says Smith who is part-time student pursuing a degree in commerce at Curtin University in Perth.
"That's [hockey] all I've ever known, really. I've loved the sport ever since I was a child and I still enjoy it.
"You'd think all the training and stuff would wear off but I still enjoy the game and love it," she says, considering herself privileged to have met so many teammates over the years and forging ties with girls all the way to the international level.
"I can't imagine anything else because I'm so used to being around people in hockey so it's actually quite a great lifestyle to be fit and healthy and doing what you want."
Travelling is a given but, contrary to popular perception, the players primarily see motels and the hockey fields.
Having put aside last year's disappointment of losing in the Six Nations final to Argentina here, Smith says a pre-dominantly young Australia have come of age and are more stick savvy. "I guess we're more aggressive and have been able to play more consistent hockey whereas before we'd have very good games against stronger opponents but were not so good in games we probably should have won."
The Adam Commens-coached Aussies are now at the stage of nutting out the finer details to clinically finish games.
Australia are ranked world No2 with Argentina only a few points behind them.
"It's always a tough fight with the [number] of good teams here so it's not going to be an easy walk in the park."
The Transtasman neighbours also are aware of the resurgent Americans who pose a different challenge.
"From the World Cup, seeing their performances there to now they seemed to have improved out of sight ... they have strong skills so it'll be interesting to see how they perform against us."
No doubt, it's always a grudge match against the Black Sticks.
"We might win one and they'll win the next so it's always a tough fight and we look forward to that challenge."
Smith has played 108 games for Australia, scoring 48 goals.
"It's not too bad at about one goal in every two games ... I'd like it to be higher but ... "
Agility, a nose for goals and the propensity to "turn something out of nothing or turn half chances into goals" by getting under the skin of the defenders are attributes she sees in good strikers.
While the Argentines, who thumped the Black Sticks 7-1 in Gisborne on Wednesday, know how to put up the shutters Smith believes it'll be interesting to see what the defending champions will bring here following a few key retirements.
"But I find the Japanese tough opponents who really give you a nudge, hold your stick and make sure you can't do what you want to do so it's really frustrating as a striker but, you know, credit to them because they are really good at it within the rules."
Getting in the face of the defenders, when pressing deep, is a desirable trait in Smith's portfolio in a bid to catch them off guard.
"I'd say we're a lot more confident and have stepped up our speed with our training at home so, hopefully, that'll put us in good stead here."
