The "underrated" feature of Carlton's untried star

After a busy summer off the field, the Blues are preparing to enter what could be an exciting new chapter, with fresh faces and new tactics at the forefront of 2026.

Losing out on a trio of star players, Carlton have prepared adequately for a transformative era at the club under new CEO Graham Wright, bringing in a selection of top coaches to join Michael Voss at the helm, alongside a range of talented players reshaping the club's on-field presence.

Following what was a difficult season in '25, Wright and the club opted to back Voss into his fifth season as head coach, prioritising stability that the club has lacked in season's past.

And despite the pressure residing on Voss as the season nears, superstar captain Patrick Cripps has provided a glowing review over the coach and the entirety of the club's pre-season thus far.

“His coaching really well over pre-season,” Cripps told SEN Breakfast.

“You can tell he’s loving it. We’ve got a few new coaches and obviously a fare few new players as well, so there’s a bit of freshness and excitement in the environment.

“We learnt some pretty harsh lessons as a group, not only as a whole club but also as players last year. The energy really shifted in the last four games last year and we’ve carried that through into the pre-season.

“Although that doesn’t mean anything right now because the wins and losses haven’t started, there’s a good feeling around the group and that’s all we can ask for at this time of year.”

With the loss of Charlie Curnow, Jack Silvagni and Tom De Koning over the off-season, the Blues have ben forced to reconsider their tactical outlook ahead of 2026.

Given the absence of departing key position players and the differing abilities of the club’s recruits, Cripps has confirmed that the side will attack the season with a rather different setup from years prior.

“There are definitely tweaks, but a think a lot of the tweaks will also come with different players coming into the side,” he said.

“(Given) the different dynamics – especially in the forward half and what that does to the group, there’s definitely some little tweaks.

“We will have probably eight to 10 new players in our side based off players we’ve traded in but also draft picks and long-term injuries from last year. It’s going to be a very different looking side, which excites me as a leader.

“A lot of us, especially the senior players, have done all of the pre-season which is always the thing you want to tick off coming into January.”

With both Will Hayward and Oliver Florent joining the club as a part of dealings surrounding Charlie Curnow, Cripps has commended the growing cohort of former Swans talent.

Now consisting of four senior players, Carlton have enjoyed great success from their Sydney recruits - with George Hewett most recently taking out the 2025 club best and fairest.

“George Hewett and Nic Newman came as well, who are leaders of our club now – both play high level footy for us,” he said.

“They’ve all been great people, they know how to work hard, and the two new guys have got a lot of energy. There’s a lot of positive vibes that they bring, but that doesn’t take away from how hard they work on the training track.

“I see them as great culture guys, but both have played over 180 games. They’ve played in big games; they know what it takes and both of them have a skillset that really compliments what we already had on the list.”

Without Charlie Curnow, the Blues have structured a forward line around former Coleman Medallist Harry McKay, opting against recruiting a secondary key to replace the departing superstar.

Speaking on the structural changes ahead of the ball, Cripps views the new-look front 50 as a model to remain unpredictable heading into the new season.

“It’s different, but I see it as an opportunity,” he admitted.

“Obviously having big Harry down there, we still have our big key forward. Charlie is a great player, I think he’s going to go very well up in Sydney, but I feel like it’s going to be a freshness for our group.

“We talked about Will Hayward, but Ben Ainsworth comes in as well – I talk about those high half forwards around the edges, they are classy, they are powerful and they will add a different look.

“Then we’ve got guys like Brodie Kemp and Ashton Moir, that hybrid third tall model that will help out Harry.

“It is a different look, I feel like it will make us less predictable going forward. I’m keen to see how that forward mixture goes but from what I’ve seen at training so far, it looks pretty dynamic.”

Amongst the Blues’ newest and best recruits, former third overall pick and excitement machine Jagga Smith is on the verge of a much-anticipated AFL debut.

Tearing his ACL ahead of his rookie season, Smith spent the entirety of 2025 rebuilding. Now, having put in the work, the talent is finally ready to put his skill on display.

And according to Cripps, Jagga may well be one of the best talents he’s seen within his time as a Blue.

“You guys will be very excited by what you see,” Cripps said.

“I’m excited to play with him. I’m not afraid to pump him up because I know what type of person he is. He gets it, he trains hard, he’s a guy you don’t have to give much advice to because he just wants it.

“His agility and ability in traffic to hit the right option (is his best trait), which for our midfield is going to help us a lot.

“The thing that’s underrated is that he’s just so competitive, and I love seeing that. He wants the best out of not only himself but the team. High standard, and he’s a great kid.

“I’m going to love playing a lot of footy with him. He and Sam Walsh are on par (as the best kid coming through at Carlton). They are the only two I’ve seen at that level at 18.”

The Blues’ first pre-season hit-out is scheduled for February 18, taking on the Brisbane Lions leading into the Community Series.