CARLTON young gun Jagga Smith has been rewarded for an outstanding start to his career with the Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination for round one.

Smith finished with 32 touches, 11 score involvements and three clearances from 73 per cent game time in the Blues' scrappy four-point win over Richmond on Thursday night.

It followed on from his brilliant debut in Opening Round, where he racked up 27 disposals and three clearances in the Blues' loss to Sydney.

The No.3 pick in the 2024 draft, Smith was denied a debut in his first season after suffering an ACL injury in the pre-season.

However, Smith has seamlessly slotted back into Carlton's line-up after a strong summer on the track, giving coach Michael Voss options both through the midfield and across half-forward. 

"We think back 18 months ago to whenever he was drafted … we felt like he was the best player in the draft. That's how highly we rated him," Voss told AFL.com.au ahead of the 2026 season.

"He's a very competitive, driven kid who in time will elevate us. But we've also got to give him the space to find his own space and own journey. I know, with him being out there and partnering up with the other midfielders, he's going to bring something different to us."

The Blues have the bye in round two but will be eyeing another win when they take Melbourne at the MCG in round three.

2026 Telstra AFL Rising Star nominees

OR: Leo Lombard (Gold Coast)
R1: Jagga Smith (Carlton)