By Peter Ryan
Carlton are reeling after scans showed their first pick in the national draft, Jagga Smith, had torn his anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the rest of the season.
The club confirmed the 18-year-old suffered the knee injury when he copped a knock in a tackle at the end of the third quarter of their match simulation clash with St Kilda on Saturday.
Jagga Smith walked from the ground after the knock that ruptured his ACL.Credit: AFL Photos
The Blues initially hoped he had escaped serious injury, and were shocked when the extent of the damage was revealed.
Carlton football manager Brad Lloyd said Smith would undergo surgery soon.
“It certainly was not the news we were expecting and we really feel for Jagga, he has not put a foot wrong from the second he walked into the football club back in November,” Lloyd said.
“Jagga possesses incredible professionalism for someone so young and an absolute dedication to push himself to get better every single day – two qualities which will have him in a strong mindset to progress through every stage of his rehab.
“While it is really unfortunate we won’t see Jagga out on the field this season, he will continue to soak up as much knowledge as he can from his teammates and coaches during his first year in the AFL system, before setting himself to attack his second season head-on.”
Smith had been a brilliant performer in the pre-season and was certain to make his debut in round one against Richmond.
He had delivered on the expectations the Blues had for him when they traded out picks 12, 14 and Matt Owies to get pick three, 63 and 68 in a three-way exchange that sent Liam Baker to West Coast and left Richmond with pick 14. The Blues earmarked the pick for Smith and were delighted with what they had seen. Smith was set to join Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps and star youngster Sam Walsh in the middle.
The Blues have already lost defender Nic Newman for most of the season and could be without key forward Charlie Curnow in round one after he recently had surgery to remove a screw from his troublesome knee.
The Blues suffered a shocking run with injuries to key players late last season and after reviewing their program and replacing respected fitness boss Andrew Russell were hopeful of more luck in 2025.
Meanwhile, Melbourne confirmed that 21-year-old defender Andy Moniz-Wakefield’s season was over after he ruptured his ACL against North Melbourne on Saturday morning.
The Demon played six games at the end of last season and was a chance to cement a spot in the line-up before the injury, which saw him damage not only his ACL but also his medial and Posterior cruciate ligaments. Demons’ football boss Alan Richardson said Moniz-Wakefield will have surgery and start his rehabilitation soon.
“This is incredibly disappointing news for Andy, who has had a really strong pre-season. We have been so impressed by his attitude and will to get better, and he was starting to reap the rewards of his hard work,” Richardson said. “Andy will undergo surgery in the near future, before beginning to work through his recovery. As a club, we will wrap our arms around him and make sure he is well-supported.”
Moniz-Wakefield before he injured his knee on SaturdayCredit: via Getty Images
Moniz-Wakefield joined the club as a category B rookie ahead of the 2022 season after playing football in Darwin.
The Demons are also likely to be without experienced small defender Marty Hore for round one after he suffered fractures to his hand in the first quarter against North Melbourne. He will need surgery to repair the injury with his return to play timeline yet to be determined.
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