Jacob Weitering | 2020 Season Review

Written by Joseph Addamo

Throughout the 2020 off-season, Blue Abroad will be providing content to cover everything you need to know about the Carlton Football Club.

After a largely improved season, we will be reviewing every player that pulled on the famous Navy Blue guernsey in 2020.

This is the Blue Abroad Player Review for Carlton’s #23 and Blue Abroad’s Player of the Year – Jacob Weitering.

SEASON SYNOPSIS

After some tumultuous early years of struggling to find consistency in performances, Jacob Weitering was destined for his breakout year in 2020. His ability to read the play from behind the ball, set up Carlton’s defensive transition and control the air space was on full display.

Among key defenders in 2020, ‘Weiters’ ranked elite in contested possessions per game (5.1), score launches (1.2), score involvements (2.1) and contested defensive one on ones (5.1, losing just 15% of these contests across the season). He also ranked above average for marks (4.4), intercept possessions (5.6), one percenters (7.5), rebound 50s (3.6) and spoils (6.6).

Weitering is still only 22 years of age. It is scary to think what peak ‘Weiters’ is going to look like in a few years!

BEST PERFORMANCE

Keeping the likes of Tom Lynch, Ben King and Jeremy Cameron goalless across the season displays the standard at which ‘Weiters’ defensive one-on-one work was set. While he was constantly lauded for these efforts in nullifying his opponents, his own ability to influence the game with ball in hand was unheralded at times.

His best individual performance came in an unforgettable comeback win in the wet vs. Sydney in Round 16. He finished with 16 disposals at 81.3% efficiency, a game-high 12 marks (3 intercepted), 328 metres gained, 8 pressure acts, 8 intercept possessions, 4 inside 50s, 2 score launches, 3 score involvements and 5 spoils. He also contested 4 defensive one-on-one contests and did not lose any of them.

Batman and Robin (Jones and Weitering) were at their brilliant best in stemming the flow of Sydney’s goals in the second half of this game.

OFF-SEASON & 2021 OUTLOOK

Coming into 2020, ‘Weiters’ had another year left on his existing deal that saw him tied to the club until 2021. It was music to the Carlton faithful’s ears when he put pen to paper to extend this by a further four years to remain a Blue until at least the end of the 2025 season.

He earned his third nomination in the 22Under22 side in 2020, while also capping off a brilliant season with a spot in the All-Australian 40-man squad.

Speaking with CFC Media on his decision to extend his commitment to the Carlton Football Club early:

My decision to sign on was based on the fact that in the next five years we want to achieve something special together as a group. It is time for us to earn success and perform to the level we know we are capable of and I have full confidence that with the players and people we have at this football club, we will do that.

It’s widely expected that Weitering will be contending for his first John Nicholls Medal come Best & Fairest night. For us at Blue Abroad, there was no one better to pull on the Navy Blue in 2020.

2020 REPORT CARD RATING

A+

STATUS HEADING INTO 2021

Consistent Senior Player