STAND and deliver.

On a big night for the footy club, Carlton’s leaders rose to the occasion.

The Blues heeded the message of Michael Voss to storm out of the blocks in Thursday night’s one-point win over the Demons, and it was their captain and two of their co-vice captains leading the charge.

Jacob Weitering polled the most coaches’ votes of any Blue, receiving seven votes in an accomplished performance down back.

Recording four intercept marks (eight total intercepts) plus eight one percenters, Weitering nullified his opponent while also kickstarting the Blues’ offence from the last line, putting together a brilliant showing which was crucial in the Blues holding on in the end.

In the one-point win, the Blues didn’t concede a score until the 10-minute mark of the second quarter: it was just the third term in 27 years the Blues have kept an opposition scoreless in the first term.

Of course, Weitering and the defence were assisted by his teammates further up the ground, with none more influential than Sam Walsh and Patrick Cripps.

So often called the ‘Batman and Robin’ of Carlton’s midfield, Walsh’s start was electric, accumulating 13 first-quarter disposals - including his first goal for the year - on the way to 34 for the game.

Walsh polled six votes, continuing his streak of polling in every game since his return to action, with Cripps not far behind with five votes.

Sitting just outside the top 10 of the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year as the highest-polling Blue, Cripps was unstoppable at the source, with 19 of his 35 disposals being contested. The Carlton skipper ranks second in the competition for contested possessions this year, behind only Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell, while his seven goals to this point in the year is the most since his Brownlow Medal-winning season of 2022.

AFLCA votes for Round 10:

10 - Christian Petracca (MELB)
7 - Jacob Weitering (CARL)
6 - Sam Walsh (CARL)
5 - Patrick Cripps (CARL)
1 - Alex Neal-Bullen (MELB)
1 - Ed Langdon (MELB)