Carlton will unleash star draftees Jagga Smith and Harry Dean against Sydney on Thursday on a night coach Michael Voss says friendships will be cast aside as the Blues face Charlie Curnow for the first time.
Voss confirmed on Tuesday that midfielder Smith, a standout through the summer and in the two practice matches after missing 2025 because of a knee injury, and Dean, the No.3 selection in last yearโs national draft, will line up at the SCG in the season opener.
Jagga Smith is ready to make his long-awaited debut for the Blues.Credit: Eddie Jim
โHe [Dean] has really impressed so far in the exposure that we have had from him, and heโs going to draw a very long partnership with Weiters [Jacob Weitering] down there [in defence], Iโm sure, over a long period of time,โ Voss said.
โObviously, Jagga, most people have seen him over the last couple of weeks, and the impact that he can have on games and probably how valuable he is going to be to us in the short term and long term.โ
Key defender Weitering is expected to line up, despite cracking ribs in the last monthโs State of Origin clash in Perth.
Voss said Weitering had completed managed contact work in recent days, but needed to complete โuncontrolledโ contact work at training on Tuesday โ and recover well โ to prove his fitness. The Blues allowed the media to film only their warm-ups.
Despite cracking some ribs playing in the State of Origin game, Jacob Weitering is expected to take up his position as the pillar of Cartonโs defence.Credit: Eddie Jim
Weitering, should he play, will have a major assignment at the SCG โ the task of quelling Curnow, his former teammate who won two Coleman medals at the Blues and man he has lined up on many a time at training.
โWe are fully aware of the capacity the guy has … heโs certainly got X-factor, there is no doubt about that,โ Voss said.
