CARLTON defender Jacob Weitering will be itching to get back onto the field once the 2020 AFL season resumes: especially given how his 2020 had started.

Weitering put on a superb performance in Round 1 while matched up against one of the elite forwards of the competition.

The 22-year-old was more than up for the challenge against Richmond’s Tom Lynch, holding the 2019 premiership star goalless and without a mark in what was a truly dominant defensive display.

Speaking on Channel 9’s The Oval Office during the week, Weitering credited the work he had been doing with teammate Liam Jones prior to the season opener while also relishing the chance to come up against one of the game’s best forward.

“For me personally, I work really closely with Liam Jones and we tried really hard to nullify the two big boys down there because they’ve had a full pre-season now together,” Weitering said.

“Coming up against Lynch is probably going to be a match-up over the next few years and I really enjoyed the challenge.

“It was good to go up against him.”

2019 was a year to remember for Jacob Weitering, whose development saw him rise in the rankings of key defenders within the AFL.

Weitering demonstrated that he was more than up for the challenge, bettering many opposition forwards including West Coast’s Josh Kennedy and Geelong’s Tom Hawkins while even running down Brisbane’s speedy Charlie Cameron.

The versatility and ability to play on a wide range of opponents is something that Weitering - who is now up to 100kg - knows that he will have to continue to work on as his career progresses.

“For me, being a key position player, you’ve got to play on different types of players,” Weitering said

“There are your Jeremy Camerons who can run up and down the ground and get plenty of touches, but then there are those big physical beasts like Tom Hawkins and Tom Lynch.

“I’m feeling physically ready to go up against the big guys each week and take that challenge.”