“IF YOU’RE not hungry after the season and a final like that, you probably shouldn’t be playing the game.”

Co-vice captain Jacob Weitering is adamant that the only way is forward for the Blues, who are looking ahead to their 2025 campaign. 

The defender - while admitting to the frustration - said he along with the leadership group will be motivated to enforce a shift heading into the off-season.

“I know for a fact the leadership group is hugely motivated to get the best out of ourselves,” Weitering said. 

“I know refining parts of our game will be something we’ll be looking at closely over the pre-season and I’ve got full confidence in the way we play the game the way we play our brand of football, that blue collar identity.”

A lack of consistency may seem like an oft-used term, but the 26-year-old elaborated on how the team can build those habits and what the barriers were to making that a reality in the future.

Referencing an Aristotle quote that's a personal favourite of the AFL Senior Coach, Weitering hopes that the playing group will take a look at what it truly means to build positive habits. 

“Habits: ‘we are what we repeatedly do’, that’s a quote ‘Vossy’ puts up a lot,” he said. 

“This is what the off-season is for – it’s a great opportunity for yourself to get better whether it’s one per cent, five per cent, 10 per cent for some in the younger days. 

“If we do all the right things really well defensively and through our identity, pressure and contest, I think we’ll be a very good and consistent football side.”

2024 saw Weitering earn his first All-Australian jacket, with the defender showing his usual intercept and contested ability in the back half. 

While a positive from an individual perspective, the full-back was quick to move on from the accolade, admitting he doesn’t feel he has reached anywhere near his ceiling of potential in football. 

“It’s something that all players aspire to be their absolute best – I don’t think I’m near that, I think I’m just scratching the surface a bit,” he said. 

“It’s great to achieve individual accolades along the way and it gives you good recognition of your hard work and all the support you’ve had on the way through.”

On reflection, the co-vice captain was pleased with how he assisted others with their game in his role in the backline. 

Referencing the likes of Lachie Cowan and Brodie Kemp, Weitering noted that having someone else to focus on when things weren’t going his way helped keep his mindset on the right track. 

“My frustrations come with some of the uncontrollables in that a knee to the quad is going to cause some trauma and bleeding for me and I had to play a few games a little bit sore,” he said. 

“I feel like I handled it reasonably well and learnt some lessons on how to make someone else better which is pretty critical when you’re not going so well yourself.”

Looking ahead to their 2025 campaign, Weitering acknowledged it will take buy-in from every person at the Club to make the necessary changes. 

Feeling optimistic about what the group can achieve, Weitering is embracing the Stronger Together mindset and has full faith that Carlton can return to their winning ways. 

“It takes a whole lot more than just the 24 players that go out and kick the football around on game day,” he said. 

“Stronger Together is having a higher purpose and I think we are embracing that as a Club more and more: that’s going to help us achieve the ultimate success in the future. 

“If we can continue to abide by that term, and live by the values and behaviours that are appropriate to that, success will come.”