Smeaton: We weren't ready for play-offs but now we are

Sam Smeaton believes the Dons were not ready to make the play-offs in 2025 but that will definitely not be the case next season.

The experienced centre has signed a new one-year contract with the club to extend his tenure into a seventh campaign.

While frustrated and disappointed to miss out on a top six finish last season, Smeaton says it has provided added motivation to step up more next term.

“It was disappointing from a playing group but we probably just weren’t ready to make the play-offs,” he said. “A few results went our way but you need to be picking them up every week to do well in the back end of the year. You want to be pushing into the play-offs, not crawling into them.

“You want to go far in them and deep into them and cause some upsets.

“Consistency is key throughout the year. If you look at the games we won, we beat some really big teams but then we slipped up against others.

“Everybody needs to improve, individually and collectively, because that will make a massive difference. Little improvements everywhere will make a massive difference.

“I think we’ve build on it every year since we got back into the Championship and adding layers to it, with new signings coming in and gelling. It all adds to it and makes it exciting for what is to come.

“The sky is the limit and once we nail everything and find that consistency, I think you’ll see us make some massive strides.”