Carlton assistant coach, Ash Hansen spoke to the media after the Blues' 15-point win over Geelong in their final dress rehearsal for 2026. 

Covering all bases, Hansen spoke on Jagga Smith, Elijah Hollands, the fresh faces at IKON Park, as well as how the team's system is shaping up. 

On Jagga Smith 

"We're pleased for Jagga [Smith]. We know his skillset is going to make us a better team. For such a young man to have to navigate the disappointment of last year and wait for another opportunity, it's a testament to the young person he is. He's going to have an an exciting future. We certainly don't want to put the weight of expectation onto one young man's shoulders, but certainly if we continue to play well as a team, he's going to help us be a good team."

"His ability to accumulate, use his fast feet in traffic, have composure, hit targets, he's the link player between the midfield and the forward line which a lot of teams in today's footy just value so highly.'

"He's only going to get better, he's going to grow but it's pleasing he had another experience tonight that shows him what he can do." 

Not worried about too many new faces

"Because they spend so much time together, on the outside they might look like new faces, but this group has been together and been connecting, building the relationships, playing the team system for five months now."

We're really confident that yes they'll be new names on paper, but the work they've done over the summer will help that cohesion pretty early. There will be a level of time we need to invest in those guys when they play together in different situations and build that trust. But no, we aren't worried about there being too many new faces. I think that's just the evolution of this footy team."  

On the impressive versatility shown  

"Those guys that can play multiple roles are so important for the versatility and flexibility for our side. Being able to move magnets around allows us to expose the opposition if that's required." 

"Campbell [Chesser] is another guy who's come to our footy Club fresh faced, had a full pre-season - which gives him the confidence in his body and allows him to work on his craft and gel with his teammates - and then you start to see the performances tonight where he was strong in contest, plays his role, helps others around him play better. We're really pleased for Campbell and what he's brought to our team."  

On the Blues' forward system 

"We still feel we've got a little way to go, it was probably frustrating us earlier tonight that we weren't capitalising on our really good defence with our finishing, but I think that is a bit of the time of the year."

"That last kick is just so critical in footy, and certainly the personnel we've got and the availability of players, hopefully is the combination of things that helps us increase our efficiency." 

On Elijah Hollands

"He's done a lot of personal work, and the way he presented over the summer put himself in a position where he can earn his spot on the list, and credit to the young man. He's been completely disciplined to get himself fit, not miss training sessions, doing everything right, and earned the trust of the footy Club and his teammates."

"Hopefully this is the start of the chapter that starts to express and show Elijah for what he can do. It's special playing with your brother, and not many guys get to do that.