Carlton have confirmed that Jacob Weitering escaped serious neck, spinal, or major internal injury after a frightening collision during the AFL Origin match on Saturday night. The 28-year-old defender was involved in a high marking contest in the first quarter, where WA forward Mitch Georgiades landed heavily on his ribs and shoulder, with concerns also raised about a possible elbow to the head.
Weitering received medical treatment on the field for approximately nine minutes before being placed in a neck brace and stretchered off to hospital. On Sunday morning, Carlton announced that Weitering had been discharged and would return to Melbourne soon. He is experiencing soreness around the chest area, which requires further assessment, and a recovery timeline will be provided by midweek.
Carlton football boss Chris Davies expressed relief that Weitering avoided significant damage, stating the club is proud of both Jacob and Patrick for representing their states. He emphasized that the incident does not diminish the value of the Origin concept. Other players, including Matt Rowell, Callum Ah Chee, Mitch Georgiades, and Sam Taylor, also sustained injuries during the match.
Victoria coach Chris Scott expressed concern for Weitering but deferred to Carlton for updates. He defended the Origin concept, noting that injuries can occur in any pre-season activity, and urged fans not to overreact to the incident.
