It took less than half an hour for the first major injury in Origin’s return, with star Carlton defender Jacob Weitering going down heavily in the first quarter on Saturday night.
Weitering was crushed under the bodies of Western Australia’s Mitch Georgiades and Victorian teammate Sam Collins after a marking contest at half-forward.
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Play between the two sides was halted for several minutes while the 28-year-old gun interceptor was tended to by medical staff.
Weitering was placed in a neck brace while being stretchered off the field, with initial fears of a concussion and possible neck injury.
However, as the second quarter got underway, Fox Footy’s Kath Loughnan provided an update that Weitering was hospital-bound with his shoulder and ribs the main concerns.
“He is going to hospital as a precaution for his ribs and that left shoulder,” Loughnan said in the second quarter.
“It was nearly probably 200 kilos falling on him and that left shoulder and his head. So, fingers crossed for Jacob Weitering.”
“He’s down. He’s out,” Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said in immediate reaction on Fox Footy.
Brisbane icon Jonathan Brown added: “Heavy landing … full weight of Collins and Georgiades onto him, hopefully his shoulder is OK.”
Caller Anthony Hudson said what everyone was thinking: “It’s what we all feared.”
Dunstall later said: “It looks like a serious concussion, doesn’t it? … We don’t like seeing any sort of concussion, but if there’s going to be one, let’s hope it’s at the lower end.”
Brown responded: “There’s a head aspect, but the way he landed on his shoulder as well, you hope that he hasn’t done any structural damage to his left shoulder.
“It’s about 200 kilos coming down on top of him.”
Reporting from the boundary line at Optus Stadium, Loughnan initially said there’d be no firm Weitering update until post-match.
“Just been speaking to Victoria, obviously we’re all concerned about Jacob Weitering – they’re not going to give us a proper update until after the game, but he’s in the best of care right now, obviously,” Loughnan said.
The 204-game All-Australian has been a durable commodity for the Blues in recent years, playing 22 or more games in four of the past five seasons.
Carlton kicks off its 2026 campaign against Richmond at the MCG on March 12.
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