THOSE baby Blues.

Carlton had seven players with 12 or less games on Saturday night, its most in a single game since 2017.

Joining Jagga Smith and Harry Dean in recent weeks have been Jack Ison and Billy Wilson, while Talor Byrne, Wade Derksen and Flynn Young all returned to the side on Saturday night.

There were cameos everywhere you looked, with Jagga Smith’s brilliant showing earning eight coaches’ votes to go with 15 score involvements, while Harry Dean’s performance against Port Adelaide star Mitch Georgiades drew plaudits from all who wear Navy Blue - including being acknowledged as the Players’ Player by his fellow teammates this week.

Ison’s first-quarter goal could’ve easily been complemented by another few with more luck, while Wilson produced a career-high 22 disposals and 430 metres gained in the best performance of his short career to date.

Speaking to FOX Footy post-match, the ever-impressive Smith said that it was great fun running out with the Blues’ next generation each week, and their ability to flourish was due to their senior teammates leading from the front.

“It just shows there’s some really strong youth coming through. When you throw Cody Walker in that mix next year as well, it’s pretty exciting,” Smith said.

“We’re being led really well by our leaders: as young players, they’re the ones you look up to and they’ve led the way through all the tough moments. They couldn’t have been better during this start to the year.”

All seven played their part in a 34-point win on the road, earning plaudits from the Interim Coach and senior players alike.

Josh Fraser on young defenders:

“I thought Harry Dean was terrific, he has been all year. He’s a young kid that has assumed some big roles from week to week and I loved his game. Wade Derksen came into the team to replace Jacob and I thought he had some encouraging moments, I loved some of Billy Wilson’s run and ability to overlap.”

Ollie Florent on young group:

“What all the young blokes are doing at the Club are bringing the energy, it makes my jobs and all the other boys’ jobs more enjoyable when we see these guys living out their dream and playing good footy.”

Francis Evans on young group:

“They bring so much energy and are playing to their strengths at the moment. ‘Deany’ was unbelievable on a great player, he’s really holding his own. It’s bringing a lot of energy and they’re really driving the standards.”

Will Hayward on Harry Dean:

“He’s a great player. He’s going to be such a long-term player, he’s got a great mentor in ‘Weiters’ - he had a big challenge tonight and did such a good job. He’s a ripping young player and great to see him do so well.”

Josh Fraser on Jagga Smith:

“He’s exciting. He’s incredibly driven to be a great player, and he’s in a hurry which is exciting in itself - he’s assumed some leadership in effectively his first year of football. I love seeing his growth on game day.

“He’s starting to grow in confidence, he’s starting to build trust in teammates around him, he’s executing his role really well. We’re trying to get him more exposed to that midfield mix. I thought he was terrific again.”

Will Hayward on Jack Ison:

“He’s been great: I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but he’s going to be a very exciting player and have a long career if he continues on the trajectory he’s on. He’s a hard worker, he’s silky smooth with his skills and foot work.”

Ollie Florent on Jagga Smith:

“Jagga is a very charismatic guy… he’s had an unbelievable start to his career. He loves his football, he’s so dedicated to his craft - he can be very serious on-camera, but off-camera he’s such an energetic guy who brings so much."