The case for Jacob Weitering

Written by Ari Stamatakos

Jacob Weitering is the pound for pound best Key Defender in the AFL and it’s not even close

When Jacob Weitering was drafted Pick 1 in the 2015 AFL draft, the expectations were enormous. Playing nearly all his junior years at centre halfback, his start to his life as a Blue was rocking, but I think we all expected that, considering the state the club was in at the time. He was played at both ends of the ground and showed glimpses early on of why he was taken pick 1. He played all but 2 games in his first 2 years and in 2018, people expected that the massive leap from good to great was inevitable.

However, that leap went the other way, he went from good to borderline putrid at times and after a 86 point smashing at the hands of North Melbourne, Weitering was dropped. This was his time to prove why he was the ‘future captain’ of the Carlton Football Club. He put his head down and got to work, and when he came back later in the year, he looked a shadow of his former self. Whilst the inconsistencies and fallibilities were still there, he had set himself up to explode in 2019. 

And explode he did, playing all but 1 game the following year, he and Liam Jones formed a tandem which proved to be near unstoppable. This earned him a spot in the 22under22 side for 2019. If you thought that his 2019 was good, wait till his 2020, where he levelled up in areas that we all thought were near perfect. His kicking improved, he became near unbeatable in the one-on-one contest, all whilst maintaining his elite intercept mark ability. He went one step further to earn himself the John Nicholls Medal in 2020. In 2021, he has had game after game of unbelievable performances which will line him up for a potential back-to-back bnf win. He is the best defender in the AFL and there is no one even in the near vicinity of him. This is why. 

Attack from defence 

Jacob Weitering is the closest that Carlton are going to get to a quarterback. Setting up and delivering players with deadly accuracy, straight onto the chest of the leading forward. He is kicking the ball this year more than he has ever done before. His 218 kicks far outway his next most of 199 and there is a good reason why that is. Despite his kicking efficiency percentage not being at a career-high level, his effective kicks are and are on track to be by a long shot. His 157 effective kicks are the highest in his career and it will only rise from here. He is also having a career-high in metres gained (5838) and rebound 50’s (101), which shows that he isn't just chip kicking it from side to side, he is making penetrating kicks that break apart teams at the seams. 

When it ranks to the other key backs in the competition, he is as well having a career-best season. Kicking wise, he ranks in the top 10 for all the above kicking stats which just proves his quality. The likes of Darcy Moore, one of, if not the most proficient defensive kickers in the league is nowhere to be seen in this list as he is surrounded by the likes of Luke Ryan, Steven May and Dougal Howard. However, what makes Weitering stand out amongst this group, is that the rest of those players play in a clearly defined system that benefits their strengths. Jacob Weitering has been forced to play in a way that doesn't suit his strength and leaves him with little to no clear kicking options available. 

Real Defender. 

What initially attracted all of us to Weitering was his innate ability to do the basic defending fundamentals well. He initiates body contact at the right time, knows when to peel off and go 3rd man up, has good strong contested hands and takes front position well. With all of this considered, it's no surprise that he is up there with the best in the league at all the key defending sides of the game. He ranks elite for spoils and marks, both areas where he is having career-best years with 132 and 123 respectively. Whilst also on track to have career-best in contested marks and intercept marks. 

Amongst other key backs in the league, he is once again, right up there. For contested marks, intercept marks, marks and spoils he ranks in the top 5 for all those metrics, he and Harris Andrews are the only key defenders in the entire league to do so. When looking at his defensive one-on-one record, it doesn't look as good as it could be. His 22% defensive one-on-one losses rank as one of his worst in his career and rank him the 41st worst amongst key defenders. However, these numbers are drastically skewed by the fact that Carlton have conceded the 5th most inside '50s and Weitering and Jones have conceded 183 defensive one-on-ones between them, with Weitering contributing 91, his most in his career by a long shot. Considering that Weitering has participated in the second most defensive one-on-one, his 22% loss percentage is not that bad, and still is lower than the likes of Dougal Howard, Kyle Hartigan and Jake Lever. 

Overall 

Whilst perhaps Steven May has had a better season, or Harris Andrews has had a better career. Pound for Pound, when you consider age, what they are currently doing for their current team and what they could become, Jacob Weitering is the best key defender in the league and it's not even close. Steven May is having a career-best season in a team that has conceded the least amount of points this season. Harris Andrews has played in a team that has played back-to-back finals series and has had a relatively quiet year. If Jacob Weitering was playing for any side in the top 8, he would be light years away from any other defender in general. He has the leadership, the tactical nous and can deal with the constant bombardment that he faces weekly. Should Carlton get their defensive structure to a competitive level consistently, watch Weitering’s numbers rocket as he will finally be put into a system that suits his game style. Should he be the next captain? Well, if he was playing for any other club then yes, but the captaincy at the Carlton Football Club has been cursed for some time now and it would be a shame if it hindered another excellent rising talent. With that saying, if there is anyone that could break the hoodoo and relive the glory days leading this exciting crop of players, it's the best defender in the league.