Jacob Weitering’s shoulder injury is set to have large ramifications on Carlton in the coming weeks.
The ever-reliable defender went down with an AC joint injury in the first quarter of the Blues’ loss to Collingwood on Sunday, coach Michael Voss suggesting post-game Weitering could miss five or six weeks.
Without the 24-year-old in defence, Collingwood went at 51 per cent efficiency inside their forward 50, six per cent above their 2022 season average.
Two-time premiership Kangaroo David King believes Weitering can’t be replaced, such has been his influence so far this year.
“So where to without Weitering?” King began.
“In the defensive 50, he’s been involved in 27 one-on-ones throughout the year and he’s been outmarked once.
“That’s just under four per cent, which is the best of the top ten contest players in the defensive 50, that’s the best return. (So) the best one on one defender in the competition is basically what you’re losing.”
“So you can’t replace that.”
Carlton is currently facing an injury crisis with their key defenders, Weitering now joining Mitch McGovern, Oscar McDonald and Luke Parks on the sidelines. Caleb Marchbank is also still working his way back from a torn ACL.
However, what the Blues are flushed with is midfield talent and depth. Patrick Cripps, George Hewett, Adam Cerra, Sam Walsh and Matt Kennedy hands Michael Voss one of the best on-ball units in the competition.
With few options to bolster the backline, King believes Voss’ best choice is to try and get more out of his midfield.
“So for me now, you say, ‘right, our weapon this year has been our ability to win clearance and win contests and protect our back six’,” he stated.
“Instead of worrying about that position (defence), I’d be going the other way and I think Michael Voss will be going the other way, he’ll go to Patrick Cripps and George Hewett and Kennedy and these guys, and say, ‘I need you boys to go next level for four weeks and protect our back six until we can get some troops back’.
“It’ll turn, when it turns they’ll look good coming back in, those magnets. They’ll change everything for the last six weeks of the year, but right they’ve got Essendon this week and they’ve got Peter Wright, he could kick four or five… then they’ve got Richmond (with) Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt, then they’ve got Fremantle (who has) Rory Lobb, he’s going to be the size they can’t handle, and then they’ve got St Kilda with Max King.”
The Blues will be given a bit of time to recover with their bye coming this week, getting to the midway point of their season with a 9-3 record.
Voss’ troops likely only need another three wins to lock in their finals spot for the year, and as King notes, a 2-2 record over the next month’s games would be a good result for their season.
However, the North Melbourne champion set a figure the Blues need to hit if they are to hold their own in their next four games.
“They’re not going to be able to defeat those guys one on one, they’re just not. So they’ve got to make sure, and this is not their strength… they’ve got to find a way to keep the opposition to 45 or fewer inside 50s,” King continued.
“We haven’t really seen that this year. Carlton over the last five weeks are ranked tenth without the footy. If they stay at tenth, they’ll drop the bulk of those games (in the next month) and their year will sort of fritter away.
“But if they can dominate in the midfield and protect their back six, and not have them succumb to one-on-one losses, if they can split those games 2-2 and the magnets start coming back, that’s when you get excited.”
Despite a spirited fightback, the Blues’ ultimately fell short on Sunday to drop their first game since Round 6.
Carlton is expected to confirm Weitering's return timeframe in the next 24 hours.