Club/Recruited from: Oakleigh Chargers
Position: Hybrid midfielder
Height: 182cm
DOB: 28 January 2006

JAGGA the Bluebagger.

With pick No.3 in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, Carlton has selected young gun midfielder Jagga Smith.

Captain of the Oakleigh Chargers and Vic Metro, Smith emerged as one of the most consistent on-ballers of a highly touted draft crop, finding the footy with ease and using it accordingly.

The 18-year-old could hardly have been more impressive throughout the course of the season — in whatever team he played in.

It was in the Coates Talent League where Smith produced a staggering 50-disposal performance for the Chargers, while he averaged just shy of 30 disposals a game for Vic Metro in the Under-18 National Championships - earning him the honour of All-Australian captaincy in the process - before averaging 27 disposals in three games for Richmond’s VFL side.

He combines his footy smarts with his willingness to run all day for his team (he recorded a time of 6:27 in the two-kilometre time trial) while he was more and more damaging as the season went along.

Averaging a goal a game in the final seven matches of the Chargers’ campaign, Smith operated at over 80 percent efficiency for Metro in the national carnival while averaging over six score involvements over the course of the year across all levels he played.

Now, he finds himself at home in Navy Blue.

Smith is a competitor, clean at the contest and demonstrated his class with ball in hand on numerous occasions throughout 2024, with the young leader now linking up with the likes of Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh at IKON Park.

Carlton Head of List Management Nick Austin said all at the Blues were thrilled to welcome a player and person of Smith’s credentials to the football club.

“We had a targeted approach during the trade period to put ourselves in the best possible position on draft night, and to be able to welcome Jagga to the fold is the result we’re thrilled with,” Austin said.

“You’d struggle to find a more impressive young person and player than Jagga. He’s one of the standout leaders in his draft class, which was reflected in his captaincy duties throughout the year, and he’s someone who we think can offer a real point of difference to our midfield for a long time.

“He’s the No.1 ball winner for his age but more than that, he gets bang for buck with his ball use. We love what he’s able to do in traffic, he’s someone who really relishes the contest side of the game and he’s been incredibly consistent for Oakleigh, Vic Metro, the under-18 Australian side and even Richmond in the VFL.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Jagga to our Club, he’s someone who we’ve had our eye on for a while that we think will play a pivotal role for our football club in the years to come. We can’t wait for our members and supporters to see what he can do when he pulls on the Navy Blue jumper.”