AFL 2025: Carlton draftee Jagga Smith lays down aim to play in round 1 against Richmond
No. 3 pick Jagga Smith has put an early debut on the agenda as he reveals he hasn’t just been training as a midfielder ahead of his first season at Carlton.
Top Carlton draftee Jagga Smith is eyeing a round 1 debut right in the heart of Michael Voss’ midfield.
The No. 3 draft choice in November, Smith has trained almost completely with the Blues onball brigade in his first few months at the club, taking after his mentor Sam Walsh.
With dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps and Walsh already running the midfield, Carlton fans hope Smith can step in to create a new midfield big three.
And the teen said he hoped to be straight in there when Carlton meets Richmond in round 1.
“It is definitely an aim,” he said.
“I will try and put my best foot forward for the coaches and try and add to the team. At the moment I am just trying to take it day by day, there has been a lot of new information coming to a new club.
“That (round 1) is obviously a goal but we will see what happens.
“I have been training in the midfield so far, a little bit forward as well. It is wherever the coaches see me, obviously it is a pretty stacked line-up in there.”
Smith was immediately drawn to one of his idols when he stepped into Ikon Park, and has quickly formed a strong bond with All-Australian Walsh.
“Sam Walsh has really helped me out a bit, he is a player I look up to and admire and his training standards have been really, really high,” he said.
“I have been looking up to Sam and he has been able to help me.
“Obviously he is a star of the game and to be going into work each day and playing alongside Sam, it’s a dream job and hopefully we one day share the field.”
Carlton put plenty on the line over the trade period to leap up the draft order and secure the No. 3 pick, which originally belonged to West Coast.
While some in the footy industry thought the Blues were eyeing off eventual Roos choice Finn O’Sullivan, list boss Nick Austin revealed post-draft that Smith was always No. 1 on their draft board.
The Oakleigh Chargers ball magnet was surprised to learn about the level of Carlton interest once he had been selected.
Smith spoke from the Australian Open, where he joined teammates in a game of Pop Tennis at Topcourt.
“I didn’t know that at all, they didn’t give me any signal at all they thought I was the best player in the draft,” he said.
“When I ended up there on that Wednesday night, it was such a dream to be playing for a club with such a proud history.”
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