When Richmond dynamo Sam Lalor announced himself to the footy world last year, Jagga Smith had to watch on from the sidelines.
Now, Carltonโs former No.3 draft pick Smith can finally go head-to-head with Lalor, the man taken two selections ahead of him at the end of 2024.
And neither of their coaches can wait to see who comes out on top.
Sam Lalor of the Tigers in action during the pre-season.Credit: AFL Photos
Smith, 20, missed all of his debut season after tearing his ACL last February but had 27 disposals on debut despite Carltonโs disappointing loss to Sydney in opening round.
Lalor, 19, kicked two goals from 18 disposals as Richmond stunned Carlton in round one last year and showed glimpses of the forward-midfield dynamo he could become in 11 games before hamstring injuries ruined his 2025.
โReally exciting for Jagga – Iโve known Jagga for a little while, and you obviously hate seeing young kids get injured,โ Richmond coach Adem Yze said.
โYou obviously feel for them when theyโre not playing, but then when you get the chance to see them against each other, itโs going to be really exciting for both clubs.
โ… Heโs [Smith] obviously going to be a threat that weโve got to worry about.โ
Yze flagged Lalor would be spending more time through the midfield after pinch-hitting last season, likely in a 60-40 forward-midfield split.
Big, powerful Lalor and the slighter, smooth-moving Smith are most likely to come up against each other in the middle.
โI donโt think I want Jagga at full-back,โ Blues coach Michael Voss quipped.
โThrough the middle, I hope we get to see it. Theyโre both talented young men.
โHaving to decipher all the evidence through the draft, theyโre both very different players: one is very power-orientated, then thereโs Jagga who we felt was the player for us.
โIโm sure Richmond arenโt disappointed either. Iโm sure theyโll cross paths, we obviously hope we get the upper hand.โ
The game is expected to draw a big crowd, despite neither team playing finals last year.
Yze wouldnโt buy into any queries over whether Carlton and Richmond deserved the season opener.
โItโs such an important game and such an exciting game for both clubs,โ he said.
โEven talking to players that are missing out today, a round one game against Carlton is one that you really want to play.
โSo thereโs obviously the mindset around that for players, but for our club and for their club and for the comp, to average an 80,000-crowd every year for however many years weโve done that, I think it speaks for itself.โ
AAP
