IT WAS a long wait on draft night for Jack Carroll.

But after arriving at Ikon Park on Monday, the Western Australian knew it was all worth it.

Touted as a potential first-round selection in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft, Carroll was regarded as the ‘slider’ of the pool when he was selected by Carlton with pick No.41.

It was a nervous wait inside Carroll’s Geraldton home last Wednesday night, with his name being called out over two hours after the draft started.

Now in the Navy Blue polo of Carlton on Royal Parade, that night already seems a world away.

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Carroll's first day in Blue

Jack Carroll spoke to Carlton Media after becoming a Blue at the 2020 NAB AFL Draft.

“Heading into it, I was probably expecting to go a little bit earlier,” Carroll told Carlton Media.

“Ending up at Carlton, it makes sliding down the order completely worth it. Once my name finally got read out, everyone went crazy and everyone was super stoked.

‘I was so happy with it.”

It’s been well-documented that Carroll shares a link with his new co-captain Patrick Cripps, with both starting their journey in the Mid West and breaking through the ranks for the East Fremantle Sharks.

Although Cripps is due to return to training in the new year, Carroll met up with Cripps for breakfast before making the trip to Melbourne.

Patrick was the second member of the Cripps clan that Carroll had met, with the young Western Australian being mates with the co-captain’s younger brother, Josh.

“I went out for breakfast with ‘Crippa’ and I’m good friends with his younger brother, but I hadn’t met him yet,” Carroll said.

“To meet him, he seems like a real genuine guy and he’ll definitely be someone I’m shadowing this year and trying to learn as much off as possible.”

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Highlights | Jack Carroll

Watch the best of Jack Carroll in action after he became a Blue with pick No.41 in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft.

While Carroll may be following around Cripps at training come 6 January, there’s another AFL captain who he has watched closely in his development.

“The main one is probably Scott Pendlebury,” Carroll said when asked who he models his game on.

“I’ve watched a fair bit of vision of him and what he does around the ground. I really like how composed he is and how well he uses the footy inside. Hopefully that’s an element of my game I can continue to develop.”