“IT’S been an up-and-down ride for me.”

Jacob Weitering is the first to admit that after bursting onto the scene, last year didn’t quite go to plan for the No.23.

However, if the opening month is anything to go by, the defender is well and truly back to his best.

Weitering has produced a career-best month of football, constantly producing shut-out performances alongside Liam Jones.

Ranking elite in the competition for spoils, intercept possessions and rebound 50s, Weitering said the uplift in form has centred around a return to confidence.

“The thing is belief and confidence. I was lacking that last year, the ball was coming in pretty hot,” Weitering said on SEN on Wednesday night.

“This year, I’m working really well with guys like Liam Jones and Lachie Plowman which has been really good.”

Having raced to 60 games, it’s easy to forget that Weitering only just turned 21 years of age back in December.

The key defender said his difficulty in 2018 stemmed from “external and internal factors”: however, he was confident his early form showed that was a thing of the past.

“There are a lot of contributing factors — but it comes down to me,” he said.

“It was all the mindset, it was all upstairs. As they say, 90 percent of the game is mental and 10 percent is physical.

“It’s a tough game we play, you put a lot of pressure on yourself… if I make a mistake, it’s a goal over my head.”

Crediting Andrew Russell as a massive contributor behind his early-season resurgence, Weitering — who spent three games in the VFL in 2018 — has been a star in defence.

When mentioning previous stints as a swingman up forward, Weitering said the five games spent in the forward line were great learning experiences.

“I think the move forward gave me different experiences and different players: I came up against the likes of Richmond’s Alex Rance as well as Steven May. Just some really good defenders,” he said.

“I’ve got a lot more respect for key position forwards now, you can see it does take time to develop.

“A guy like Harry McKay is coming along now with 17 contested marks in the competition, so there are positive signs.”

Weitering and the Blues will be aiming for their first win of the season when they head to Marvel Stadium to take on the Western Bulldogs this Sunday.