WHEN Jacob Weitering was drafted with pick No.1 back in 2015, he arrived at IKON Park as one of the faces of what was very much dubbed a new generation of Carlton.
One of 12 changes to the senior list (and 15 overall), Weitering stepped in as part of a 2015 draft class which would have a key role to play in the future prospects of the football club he was now calling home.
It’s safe to say there have been some turbulent times since then, but as Weitering prepares for an eighth season in Navy Blue, there’s a feature of this pre-season which Weitering has noticed in stark contrast to his previous campaigns.
Stability.
Plenty has been made of the comparisons for the Blues leading into 2023 compared to 2022: last year, it was the first under a new AFL Senior Coach, CEO and President. There was a new game plan, new processes and a plethora of new names to learn.
This time around, Weitering feels it’s been as settled as it ever has been in his time at IKON Park — and that, by extension, has been the biggest change yet.
“It’s amazing what stability does for the confidence of the group,” Weitering said on the Summer Sessions podcast.
“We’ve been able to get to work and do our thing… now we’ve got to go out and action it.
“The people we got in, most importantly, are really good people and really good leaders of people. They had a plan, and a process to put into action.
“The fact is, we’ve come [into 2023] with four draftees and brought in Blake [Acres], but that’s the least amount of change we’ve had in the playing group and in the football department space.”
The acquisition of Acres is a significant one: it’s the first time in a decade that the Blues have brought in just one player from a different club in the off-season period.
For Weitering, it marks a shift in mentality — of “adding pieces to the puzzle” rather than constantly revamping on the run.
He said it was a sign of the Club’s faith in the current group, and that as a result, the onus is on the playing group to get the job done.
“[It shows] the trust the Club has in us to take the next step,” he said.
“We’ve got a good core group of guys - Harry, Charlie, ‘Crippa’, ‘Walshy’, ‘Doc’ - that can lead this club going forward. Then you can add one or two pieces each year.
“When you’re adding pieces to the puzzle, it makes it a lot easier than changing your spine and bringing in 11 or 12 blokes a year.”
