EXPERIENCED defender Alex Silvagni will enter his second season at Carlton in 2018 after the Blues signed him to a one-year deal.

The Blues have been impressed with his ability to teach their emerging young defenders and want him to continue to play the role he performed in 2017.

The 29-year-old made an immediate impression on Blues' fans in his first match with the club in round six when he kept Coleman Medallist Lance Franklin to one goal.

He then hit good form before suffering a knee injury in round 12 against Greater Western Sydney that restricted him to just one more game for the season.

Silvagni told AFL.com.au he was rapt to remain a Blue for another season, having joined the club as a rookie at the end of 2016 following 53 games with Fremantle between 2010-2016.

"This whole 12 months has been fantastic and invigorating for me," he said. 

"Being around such a young group in a different environment is like starting my AFL career again."

Silvagni said Carlton had made his role very clear when he arrived, which was to provide leadership on and off the field and a hard body in the contest.

"I need to show my strengths, which is the physical side of the game [and] lead through my actions on the field and show what the minimum standards are for AFL football," he said.

Silvagni said he hoped to pass on the valuable lessons he learned from Docker greats Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin to young Carlton defenders such as Caleb Marchbank, Lachie Plowman, Jacob Weitering and Harrison Macreadie next season.

"My real strengths are that brutality and hard edge," Silvagni said.

"If I can bring a few kids along with me in that area I feel like I have done my job."

He said Carlton supporters could expect more than just development next season.

"Next year will definitely be about winning as many games as we can," Silvagni said.

He expects to make a strong start to pre-season after marrying Lindsay Holland in Port Douglas in October, with the bone bruising and stretched PCL that kept him sidelined for much of the second half of the season settling well.

"It is just an exciting time, and I feed off these kids," Silvagni said.

"I am not quite as athletic as most of these kids getting around, but the enthusiasm just drives me."