Jacob Weitering signs six-year contract extension with Carlton

The year 2030 may seem a long way away, but it’s the starting point for a raft of monster AFL contracts, including one for this All-Australian defender.

Job security for the long-term is becoming more common in the AFL, with Carlton’s All-Australian defender Jacob Weitering signing a deal that will keep him at the club until 2031.

Lengthy contracts are the ultimate commitment from players and their clubs and 26-year-old Weitering, also Carlton’s vice-captain, said he was repaying the “investment” the club has made in him.

Weitering was the No.1 draft pick in 2015 and has become one of the most important players at the Blues, franked with his maiden All-Australian selection this season.

“Carlton made a significant investment in me in 2015, and I couldn’t imagine playing football anywhere else,” Weitering said.

“I have always wanted to be a one-club player, and I feel like I have grown up alongside my teammates in my nine years here.

“When I first started at the club, we went through some tough times, but I couldn’t be more confident in the stability and direction of the football club as we head into the coming years. It has taken a lot of hard work as a collective to get to this point and that hard work is far from over.

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧.

Jacob Weitering. Navy Blue. 2031.

— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) October 13, 2024

“I want to also say a huge thank you to our members and supporters who have embraced me since arriving at Ikon Park. I cannot wait for the next seven years at the Blues and for us all to get after achieving what we are striving for.”

Weitering, who has played 181 games through nine largely uninterrupted seasons, joins star teammates Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow on long-term deals.

“We couldn’t be happier to see Jacob re-sign with the club. He is one of the most respected defenders in the competition for his ability to perform at an elite level each and every week. To see him extend with still a year on his contract shows the type of loyal person he is,” list boss Nick Austin said.

“Jacob has clearly demonstrated he is a leader on the field, but he also is a very impressive person off the field, looking after and guiding the new group of defenders within the club.

“To have players like Jacob, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow not only grow up alongside one another at Carlton but now all signed and committed to the club until at least 2029 and beyond is a real testament to the stability we are building.

“With the likes of Jacob leading this group, we could not be in better hands.”

Originally published as Jacob Weitering signs six-year contract extension with Carlton