2024 in review | Jacob Weitering, the full chat

Summary

In this interview, the speaker reflects on a disappointing season for Carlton's football team, highlighting inconsistencies and a lack of identity as key issues. Despite the team's defensive struggles, there's optimism for improvement, with a focus on refining game aspects and building consistency. The speaker, a leader and strong performer, discusses personal growth, the importance of team unity, and the collective desire to achieve premiership success. He also touches on the broader club support and the significance of the team's identity.

Takeaways

• 😞 The speaker expresses frustration and bitterness over the team's performance and the way the season ended.
• 🏈 Inconsistencies in on-field behavior and failure to maintain the team's identity were cited as significant issues throughout the season.
• 🔄 The team experienced fluctuating performances, with periods of strong defense followed by games where they conceded high scores.
• 👀 The speaker acknowledges the experience and consistency of their opponents, Brisbane, highlighting the gap in finals games and the need to learn from it.
• 💪 Post-season, the team is highly motivated to improve, with a focus on refining their game and maintaining their identity.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The importance of consistency and the establishment of good habits are emphasized as key areas for individual and team growth.
• 🏆 The speaker's personal ambition is to win a Premiership, rather than focusing solely on individual accolades.
• 🤕 Despite dealing with injuries, the speaker believes they managed to contribute effectively to the team and learned how to make others better.
• 👥 The speaker praises the growth of certain team members, particularly Nick Newman and Lachie Cowan, and their contributions to the team.
• 🤝 The integration of Charlie Curnow into the leadership group is seen as a positive addition, bringing different perspectives and ideas.
• 💍 Outside of football, the speaker mentions his engagement during the year and plans to leave wedding planning to his partner.

Q & A

How does the speaker feel a few days after the elimination final?

The speaker feels a bit bitter and frustrated with the way the season ended.

What was the main challenge the group faced last year according to the speaker?

The main challenge was to go back to where they finished the previous year, which was a great challenge for the group.

What does the speaker identify as a significant issue throughout the season?

The speaker identifies inconsistencies in many areas, including on-field behavior, as a significant issue.

How does the speaker describe the team's performance in terms of consistency?

The speaker describes the team's performance as lacking consistency, noting that good teams don't lose two games in a row, which they did.

What was the review of the game like from the speaker's perspective?

The review of the game was hard to watch, with the team not performing well in any part of the game during the first half.

How does the speaker compare the team's experience to that of Brisbane?

The speaker acknowledges that Brisbane has much more experience with finals, having been to a grand final and having many more finals games under their belt.

What are the speaker's thoughts on the pre-season and the focus for next year?

The speaker sees the pre-season as a time to refine parts of their game and believes that consistency in their identity and playing style will be key.

What does the speaker think about the importance of habits in achieving consistency?

The speaker quotes Aristotle, emphasizing that habits, formed by repeated actions, are crucial for consistency.

How does the speaker plan to elevate their own game and the games of others?

The speaker plans to continue striving to be the best defender they can be and to lead the team towards success.

What was the speaker's mindset when playing with injuries early in the season?

The speaker viewed playing with injuries as part of the game and focused on working through it to contribute to the team.

How does the speaker evaluate the growth of other defenders on the team?

The speaker praises Nick Newman and Lachie Cowan for their growth and contributions, highlighting their potential to become top players.

What does the speaker think about the importance of team chemistry and continuity?

The speaker believes that having a consistent group of players is important for chemistry and performance, as it was lacking in certain periods of the season.

How does the speaker feel about Charlie's addition to the leadership group?

The speaker is positive about Charlie's addition, noting his different perspective and influence on the group.

What does 'stronger together' mean to the speaker?

For the speaker, 'stronger together' signifies the collective effort of everyone involved, from the players to the support staff and fans, which is crucial for success.

Outlines

00:00

🏈 Reflections on a Frustrating Season and Motivation for Improvement

The speaker, a football player, expresses his frustration and bitterness over the team's elimination in the finals. He acknowledges the team's inconsistency throughout the season, particularly in on-field behavior and maintaining their identity. Despite a strong performance in the previous year's final, the team struggled to replicate that success, experiencing a series of losses and lapses in performance. The player discusses the review of the final game, highlighting the team's lackluster start and the impressive experience of their opponents, Brisbane. He also talks about the team's motivation for the next season, focusing on refining their game and maintaining a consistent identity. The player emphasizes the importance of individual and team improvement, with a particular focus on defense and the team's 'blue collar' identity.

05:02

🏆 Individual Achievements and Aspirations for Team Success

The player reflects on his personal achievements, including his first All Australian selection, and how it serves as motivation to improve further. He discusses the importance of individual growth and the collective effort required to achieve a Premiership. The player also talks about dealing with injuries and the mindset of playing through pain, emphasizing the importance of making others better on the team. He praises the growth of fellow defenders, particularly Nick Newman and Lachlan Cowan, for their contributions and potential. The player also discusses the impact of personnel changes on the defensive group and the need for consistency in the lineup. Lastly, he talks about the addition of Charlie Curnow to the leadership group and the fresh perspective he brings, as well as the broader concept of 'stronger together' within the team and the importance of unity in achieving success.

10:03

🤝 The Importance of Unity and the Journey Towards Success

The player delves into the significance of the team's motto 'stronger together' and how it encompasses the collective effort of everyone involved with the club, from the president to the water runners on game day. He highlights the importance of the support from fans, family, and friends in the journey towards success. The player also expresses his anticipation for the challenge of achieving success with the team and his desire to be a part of it for the long term. The conversation concludes with a lighter note about the player's personal life, mentioning his engagement and leaving the wedding planning to his partner.

Keywords

💡Elimination Final

An Elimination Final is a type of playoff match in sports, particularly in Australian Football League (AFL), where the losing team is eliminated from the competition. In the context of the video, the speaker reflects on the team's performance in the Elimination Final, expressing frustration and the desire to improve for future matches.

💡Inconsistencies

Inconsistencies refer to a lack of uniformity or predictability, often in performance or behavior. The speaker mentions that the team faced issues with inconsistencies throughout the season, which affected their on-field behavior and performance, leading to a lack of continuity in their identity and success.

💡Identity

Identity, in this context, refers to the core values, behaviors, and characteristics that define a team's playing style and approach. The speaker discusses the team's struggle to maintain a consistent identity, which was a key factor in their inability to perform at their best throughout the season.

💡Premiership

A Premiership in AFL refers to winning the league's championship title. The speaker expresses a desire to achieve a Premiership, highlighting it as the ultimate goal for the team. This keyword is tied to the team's aspirations and the motivation behind their efforts to improve.

💡Leadership Group

The Leadership Group consists of selected players who take on additional responsibilities to guide and motivate their team. The speaker mentions the Leadership Group's motivation and their role in driving the team's improvement, emphasizing the importance of leadership in achieving success.

💡Pre-season

Pre-season refers to the period of training and preparation before the start of a sports season. The speaker talks about using the pre-season to refine their game and work on consistency, indicating that this period is crucial for setting the tone and goals for the upcoming season.

💡All Australian Selection

All Australian Selection is an honor given to the best players in the AFL, chosen for their exceptional performance throughout the season. The speaker reflects on his personal achievement of being selected for the first time, while also emphasizing the importance of team success over individual accolades.

💡Consistency

Consistency in sports refers to the ability to perform at a high level without significant fluctuations. The speaker discusses the need for the team to achieve consistency in their game, habits, and identity to improve their performance and compete at the highest level.

💡Defensive Group

The Defensive Group is a subset of a football team responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. The speaker mentions the fluctuation within the defensive group due to injuries and the impact it had on the team's performance, highlighting the importance of stability and chemistry in this group.

💡Adversity

Adversity refers to difficult or challenging circumstances. The speaker reflects on the adversity the team has faced, suggesting that these challenges have hardened them and prepared them for future success, emphasizing the role of overcoming adversity in achieving goals.

💡Stronger Together

Stronger Together is a phrase used to convey the idea that a group can achieve more when they work together. The speaker discusses the importance of unity and collective effort, not just among the players but also including staff, fans, and the broader club community, in achieving success.

Highlights

Feeling of bitterness and frustration after the elimination final.

The team's motivation to improve after last year's performance.

Inconsistencies in on-field behavior and identity throughout the season.

The team's inability to maintain a consistent level of performance.

The review of the game revealed a lack of team identity and effort.

Credit given to Brisbane's experience and consistency in the finals.

The team's progress over the past three years despite recent setbacks.

The importance of focusing on pre-season to refine game aspects and build consistency.

The leadership group's motivation to improve and set high standards.

The concept of 'stronger together' and its significance to the team's identity.

The need for consistency in habits and behaviors on the field.

The personal growth and aspirations for the next season.

The importance of individual improvement and its impact on the team.

The challenges faced due to injuries and the need for a consistent defensive lineup.

The role of Charlie Curnow as a new leader and his impact on the team.

The significance of bringing success to Carlton and the collective effort required.

The broader meaning of 'stronger together' beyond just the players on the field.

The personal life update on the speaker's engagement and future plans.

Transcripts

all right waiters thanks for joining us

today um I know you spoke to Carlton

media in the immediate aftermath of the

elimination final um what are your

thoughts a couple days on from that uh

it's a very broad question but uh still

some you know a little bit bitter and

frustrated I guess with the way it ended

uh to go back to sort of where it all

finished last year was a great challenge

for our group and something that I felt

was uh probably needed and uh you know

we had a group that was really motivated

to go up and and try and do a job and um

unfortunately I guess from what

compounded throughout the season which

was inconsistencies in many many areas

um

Behavior like onfield behaviors um

consistent with our identity was

probably something that we just couldn't

quite hit throughout the year and you

know when you good teams simply uh don't

lose sort of two games in a row and and

we're going through patches where we you

know I think we had a great patch there

where we defended really well we kept

teams under 75 points and then we let

you know 100 Point slip through in a

couple weeks in a row so we just didn't

value the right things consistently

enough and as I said just just uh quite

frustrating to to know that we can go to

a level like we did back end of last

year and and get to a prelim final off

the back of pressure and contest and

some really good team football and we

just didn't do it enough this year um

what was the review like of the game and

the sort of messages that came from

that uh again the the the game itself um

was a very hard one to watch uh the

first you know first half we simply just

didn't turn up in in basically any part

of the game stoppages defensively

offensively we weren't working for each

other and we play a team game for a

reason and um I sort of mentioned our

identity it certainly wasn't there from

the start and you've got to give a lot

of credit to a team like Brisbane who

have made the finals now 6 years in a

row they've been to a grand final last

year um they've got 270 280 odd finals

games under their belt combined and and

we're well under half of that so you can

sort of put a bit of perspective on it

especially in the last three years and

sort of say how far we've come you know

ninth uh in 2022 fifth in uh 23 and then

we probably left ourselves a little

short obviously finishing eth and and

putting ourselves in a position where we

really had to fight with our backs

against the wall so the game itself uh

again just frustrating and and uh

annoying that we didn't turn up to I

guess play our best football and um the

better team W on the day so now in terms

of your pre-season what kind of focuses

will that set up looking to next year

yeah I think it provides a a lot of

motivation um if you're not hungry after

a season and I guess a final like that

um you probably shouldn't be playing

playing the game so uh I know for a fact

that the leadership group uh hugely

motivated to to get the best out of

ourselves we're we're sort of in that

age bracket I guess some would say a lot

of guys are going into their sort of

prime prime age of of football we've got

some really motivated young guys that

are that are improving as well um and I

know that just refining parts of our

game is something that we'll be looking

at closely over the preseason and I've

got full confidence in the way we play

the game and the way we play our brand

of football um that blue collar identity

and if we can do that consistently uh

and I know that's it's not a cliche word

but it's something that we have been

unable to do throughout the last couple

of years um we can take it up against

anyone so I'm looking forward to that

opportunity to get better uh both as an

individual and as a team and um

defensively I know that's probably going

to be front of mind and pretty excited

for that kind of just sort of led into

my next question um about consistency

how do you you and the group actually go

about achieving

consistency uh habits believe it or not

um we are what we repeatedly do and then

it's not an act better habit

um that was a quote by Aristotle that FY

put up a number of times this year and

again uh the inconsistencies will be uh

sort of looked at um in all facets of

the game and and as an individual and

this is what the offseason's for it's a

great opportunity for you yourself to

get better better whether it's 1% 5% 10%

for some uh in their younger days so um

if we get that right come back in really

good Nick as I said if we do all the

right things really well defensively and

and through our identity with pressure

and contest I'm sure will be a um a very

consistent and good football side and

for you personally you had a really

strong year and you achieved your first

all Australian selection where do you go

in 2 and how do you go about elevating

your own game as well as elevating the

games of others yeah it's a it's a good

question you sort of um it's something

that I think all players aspire to be

their absolute best and um I don't think

I'm sort of near that I think I'm still

scratching the surface a little bit it's

obviously great to achieve individual

accolades along the way and it gives you

I guess good recognition of your hard

work and and all the support that you've

had on the way through so very happy to

get one in the cupboard but um at the

same time it's not about getting two or

three it's about getting a Premiership

and my role in that is is being a leader

of this football club and and being the

best defender I can be and um hopefully

I've got a long time to come whether

it's 5 10 years who knows um players

tend to be playing a bit longer nowadays

so I just want to be a part of a great

football club a consistent football club

that wins premierships and um ultimately

I'll do my utmost to to be the best I

can be early on in the season you had a

few niggles who little sore Parts

throughout what were the uh how what was

your mindset going into to each game

knowing that you're playing really sore

yeah it's it's part of the game I think

most players don't play at 100% post

sort of round zero round one so um my

frustrations probably come with their

somewhat uncontrollable in that a need

of the Quad is is going to cause some

trauma and a bit of bleeding for me and

um had to play a few games yes a little

bit sore there but uh I'm lucky in a

sense that I play fullback and my my

role is simply to provide a good contest

win or have um and try and take away the

influence of the key for there so um if

it was a midfielder or a rock it would

be a little bit harder but it's all part

of the game uh felt like I worked

through it reasonably well and uh

certainly learned some good lessons on

on how to make someone else better which

is is pretty critical when you're not

going so well yourself and um yeah I'll

continue to do that and what about the

wider team or any of your Defenders who

do you think's really grown and taking a

step this year yeah it's a really good

question I think um a lot of guys with

some challenges and and lack of

continuity and consistency as a team and

and even through injuries um some guys

really stood up I thought Nick Newman

again uh just off the back of his his

year last year which was very close to

Australian caliber again uh he led the

way with with the way he goes about it

he's a hardened uh aggressive sort of

guy and probably his f record suggests

that he's had to cop a little bit this

year but he plays with an edge and and

we love him for that and um another guy

that's probably really stood up and and

I think he's going to be a fantastic

footballer and has all the the tools and

the weapons to be an all Australian

caliber sort of player uh is lucky Cowan

um he's a quiet sort of kid and and just

goes about his business but he plays the

right way he does the right stuff for

the team and um you know he's been an

absolute pleasure to play with this year

so hopefully he can just get that little

bit better 5 10% and um he's going to

become a very good footballer in time

and he talked about the fluctuations

sort of through the defensive group with

Personnel how does your role change

depending on who's in the team yeah

there's definitely elements of that I

mean I've played years where we've had

you know 15 to 20 guys roll through the

backline and this year was not quite

that but there was you know 12 13 14

guys that rolled through and um it is

hard to to get that continuity and

chemistry which I I felt we had at the

back end of last year and

stats say that you know when when you do

get that chemistry right um we're sort

of a top two top three defense so

looking at turnover defense stoppage

defense um D50 defense like we were very

good last year and I think that hurt us

a little bit this year so we can get a

consistent you know seven or eight guys

that go through there you need 35 guys

to win a Premiership but it's always

nice to have guys that that do a job

each week so hopefully we can get that

you had Charlie join the leadership

group this year how how did he sort of

fit in with his first year with you guys

and then what did he bring to the team

as well Charlie's great uh there's a

reason he was sort of uh voted into to

the leadership group he he brings a

different perspective um he's a

different character much like his

brother uh a bit more alternative uh on

the funner side I guess compared to

myself and some others but he um he

doesn't probably even understand how

much of an influence he has on the group

and and even his leadership the way he

goes about himself is professionalism um

and clearly he pretty obvious he's one

of the best players in in the AFL so um

to have him in the leadership group I

think was a great step for us and gave

us different ideas and perspective on on

things and um he'll uh he'll continue to

improve in that role which is really

exciting for him in his football you

mentioned before that you've been

through quite a bit in terms of lad of

position you've been at the club 10

years almost um the 18th finishes and

then the ninth and the fth what would it

mean to you and the group to bring

success to Carlton I won't know till I

get there but I think the the adversity

and the challenges that we've been

through are hardening us for for sort of

what's to come and I sort of mentioned

the games played in finals that that

Brisbane have in terms of the experience

they have um 270 280 games combined

experiences is a lot of games played in

in the harshest sort of environment you

can play in our game so um for us to

continue to get those experiences we

need to be consistent as I said but at

the same time leaders need to stand up

and um for the guys that have been

around a long time they they really want

to you know bring success obviously to

this club but um we've got to do it

together and do it as one so takes from

everyone down from the president um down

to the person that runs the water on

game day so um very much looking forward

to the challenge and and hopefully I'm a

part of it for for a long time to come

what does stronger together and pulling

on the navy blue jumper mean to you yeah

it's probably I mean I've elaborated a

little bit on on it all but um for us

you can lose perspective a little bit

and and just think that you are the one

person that's either failing or

succeeding on the field and takes a lot

more than just the 24 players that go

out and and um kick the football around

on on game day so every week it it takes

you know the physios the medical staff

um the footy Department itself upstairs

to to get everything going the fans at

home the 106,000 supporters that we have

that have signed up to to support us

each week our families our friends so um

stronger together is is having a higher

purpose and I think

we are embracing that as a football club

more and more and and that's going to

help us achieve the ultimate success in

in future so we can continue to I guess

abide by that term and um you know live

by the values and behaviors that are

appropriate to that um success will come

I'm sure are you looking forward to a

big offseason of wedding

planning he's V didn't ask you that did

you uh no wedding planning as such uh

I've left all the engagement planning up

to my partner Isabelle um engaged during

the year so uh very happy about that but

I'm not too sure about sort of what's

next I'll leave that up to her I think

all right thank you waiters cheers guys