ACROSS the board, Jagga Smith was seen as one of the standout players on the ground against Richmond on Saturday.

With a team-high 29 disposals and nine score involvements, Smith went onto poll eight coaches’ votes against the Tigers, behind only fellow midfielder George Hewett.

He’s now polled 34 coaches’ votes for the year and has done his AFL Rising Star chances no harm, playing an integral role in the Blues’ midfield the more the year goes on.

And yet, when speaking to FOX Footy post-match, the ultimate professional immediately went to where his game could improve when quizzed by David King on how he saw his performance.

“I think I had some good moments, but there were a few moments where I coughed the ball up a little bit.

“Defensive 50, I’ve got to be a lot stronger for the Hotton goal. There’s the set shot I missed as well. Overall, I thought I contributed.

“It was a tough game: credit to Richmond, they brought the heat and hit us hard early. We responded in the second quarter, but a few of those late-game moments, we were pretty disappointed about.”

Touted as a future leader from the moment he stepped foot inside IKON Park, it’s no surprise to see how Smith’s professionalism made an immediate impact on the group.

In effectively his first season of football this year following an injury in 2025, Smith is averaging over 24 disposals per game and has offered a new dynamic to the Blues.

Smith said his focus has been getting bang for buck with his possessions. Only Patrick Cripps (53) has had more score involvements for the Blues since Round 10 than Smith (52).

“I always say that score involvements is the big thing I try to pride my game on when I play well. It was a knock in my juniors that I could find the footy, but it’s translating that into scores that is the next step in my game.

“When we’re on as a midfield, we all get a lick of the ice cream.”