SATURDAY'S clash between Carlton and West Coast will be a heavyweight battle for the Telstra AFL Rising Star Award as Jagga Smith and Willem Duursma go head-to-head for the first time in their professional careers.

No.1 draft pick Duursma has been a revelation in his first season at West Coast, with the 19-year-old averaging 19.1 disposals, 2.5 clearances, 358m gained and 3.4 tackles per game to go with nine goals.

ROUND 16 Get your seats to Blues v Eagles

Smith, who had his first season wiped out by a knee injury, is averaging 23.9 disposals, 3.7 clearances, 234m gained and 2.3 tackles per game to go with three goals this year.

The pair are neck and neck in the Rising Star battle.

Eagles coach Andrew McQualter knows his opinion is biased, but if it was up to him he would have Duursma leading the race for the award right now.

"He cares about the defensive side of the game, which dare I say is slightly unusual for a No.1 draft pick," McQualter said on Thursday.

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Published on Jun 23, 2026

"He's certainly been able to provide some defensive efforts, which we've shown in team meetings, and he's nowhere near a finished product. 

"I think he's got so much growth in him, but he wants to be great, wants to help our team be great, and we love him on our team.

"He's been able to come into an AFL team, first year ... play on the wing, play inside mid, and be able to influence games in different ways."

Smith, the No.3 pick from the 2024 national draft, showcased his credentials last week with a 26-disposal, six-clearance effort against Greater Western Sydney.

Jagga Smith handballs during the match between Essendon and Carlton at the MCG in round 13, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

Carlton (6-8) has rocketed into the reckoning for a wildcard finals berth after stringing together five consecutive wins under interim coach Josh Fraser.

West Coast (4-10) would have also been in the race for a wildcard spot if not for tight losses to Port Adelaide (six points) and North Melbourne (one point) before last week's bye.

The Eagles will be bolstered by the return of Jack Graham from shoulder surgery for Saturday's clash at Marvel Stadium, while Duursma (calf) and Tom McCarthy (hamstring) are also back.

Jake Waterman's goalkicking will be a big focus of Saturday's game after the spearhead's wayward 31.37 return so far this season.

"Confidence comes and goes, and you just build it through belief and evidence, and it's a mental thing for sure," McQualter said.

"But the beauty for Jake is that for a long time, for all of his life, he has been a great kick of goal, so he's just got to get that feeling back."