Cody Weightman Explained

Cody Weightman
Birth Date:15 January 2001
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria
Originalteam:Dandenong Stingrays/Haileybury/Beaconsfield
Draftpick:No. 15, 2019 AFL draft,
Debutdate:17 July 2020
Debutstadium:Metricon Stadium
Height:177 cm
Weight:73 kg
Position:Forward
Guernsey:3
Years1:2020–
Games Goals1:74 (125)
Statsend:round 23, 2024
Careerhighlights:
Nickname:Flea[1] [2]

Cody Weightman (born 15 January 2001) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Western Bulldogs with the 15th draft pick in the 2019 AFL draft.

Early life

Weightman was born in Melbourne and grew up on a farm in Pakenham.[3] He participated in the Auskick program at Officer.[4] He played his junior football for Beaconsfield.[5] Weightman captained his school's first XVIII side at Haileybury, where he was coached by Australian Football Hall of Famer Matthew Lloyd.[6] [7] He also played for the Dandenong Stingrays in the NAB League, and was selected to play for Vic Country in the AFL Under 18 Championships.[8] Weightman played 4 games with Vic Country, and had two stand-out games. His first came against the Allies on 9 June 2019, where he kicked 4 goals, had 16 disposals and 6 marks to help his team to a 97-point victory.[9] He also had another 4-goal haul against South Australia on 28 June 2019, his 4 goals and 12 disposals[10] helping the team get over the line by a singular point.[11] He was selected for the 2019 Under-18 All Australian side on the interchange bench,[12] after he kicked the most goals out of any player in the tournament, finishing with 9 from 4 games.[13] After finishing his schooling, Weightman went to Bali in Indonesia, where he played for the Bali Geckos, describing it as a way to "just to decompress, really,".[14] Weightman was noted as a heavily determined player, reportedly obtaining a vertical jumping test before the AFL Draft Combine in order to perfect his jumping technique to gain an advantage of other potential draftees.[15] Most phantom drafts had Weightman being taken with either Melbourne's 12th pick in the draft,[16] or the Western Bulldogs' 15th pick,[17] and eventually he was taken by the latter.[18] [19] [20]

AFL career

When arriving at the Bulldogs, Weightman donned the number 19 guernsey, the number previously worn by former player Lukas Webb.[21] Weightman debuted in the Bulldogs' 42 point win over the Essendon Bombers in the 7th round of the 2020 AFL season, against friend and former teammate Ned Cahill.[22] [23] In his first game, he picked up 2 goals, 9 disposals and 3 marks.[24] Weightman's first disposal was a banana kick with which he kicked a goal.[25] [26] [27] After kicking just 1 goal in his next two games, Weightman was omitted from the side[28] and did not return for the remainder of the season.[29]

Weightman was kept to the VFL for the start of the 2021 AFL season. He had a standout game in the VFL against Carlton's reserves side, where he took a spectacular mark over Ryley Stoddart[30] which grabbed the attention of seniors coach Luke Beveridge. After playing just 3 games in the 2020 season, Weightman returned to the team in Round 9, where he was instrumental in the team's close win over at Adelaide Oval. He kicked two goals in the first quarter, and then kicked the winning goal with only a few minutes remaining by snapping it over his head into the goals.[31] [32] He earned the praise of captain Marcus Bontempelli, who stated "His pressure and his tackling and finishing were exceptional. It's great to see him get some reward."[33] His winning goal earned a Goal of the year nomination for round 9.[34] The next week, Weightman was nominated for the 2021 AFL Rising Star award after his 2-goal, 14 disposal, 11 score-involvement performance against .[35] [36] Weightman had a career best game against, where he kicked four goals, three of them coming in the first quarter.[37] [38] It was revealed Weightman had signed a two-year contract extension with the Western Bulldogs on 20 July 2021, tying him to the club until the end of the 2023 season.[39] Weightman earned a Mark of the Year nomination in round 19, after he took a spectacular mark on top of ruckman Max Gawn.[40] The mark drew lots of media attention and was branded as a contender to win the annual award.[41] [42] Weightman was one of the team's most important players in their 49-point elimination final victory over, kicking four goals to help them break away from the Bombers.[43] [44] [45] After his 4-goal performance in the final, Weightman was subjected to abuse on social media platforms,[46] prompting teammate Josh Bruce to defend him on Twitter.[47] Weightman managed to kick 1 goal in the team's thrilling semi-final victory over .[48] Unfortunately, he was substituted out of the game for a head knock, after which he developed concussion symptoms, ruling him out of the Preliminary final the following week.[49] [50] Weightman played in the grand final, but had a quiet game as the Bulldogs ended up losing to, picking up just seven disposals.[51] After the conclusion of the season, it was revealed that Weightman had played through an ankle injury which he incurred during the pre-season throughout the year.[52] [53]

Personal life

In his spare time, Weightman enjoys wakeboarding and surfing, and has also learned to paint.[14] He grew up supporting .

Cody Weightman drew much controversy in an event where a wardrobe malfunction lead to him revealing himself to players and fans. When asked what happened, Cody Weightman said "What I did, I did for the country."[54]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2023[55]

|- style="background:#EAEAEA"| scope="row" text-align:center | 2020| | 19 || 3 || 3 || 1 || 11 || 7 || 18 || 4 || 4 || 1.0 || 0.3 || 3.7 || 2.3 || 6.0 || 1.3 || 1.3 |- | scope="row" text-align:center | 2021| | 19 || 16 || 26 || 13 || 120 || 40 || 160 || 48 || 30 || 1.6 || 0.8 || 7.5 || 2.5 || 10.0 || 3.0 || 1.9 |- | scope="row" text-align:center | 2022| | 19 || 21 || 36 || 10 || 131 || 57 || 188 || 55 || 40 || 1.7 || 0.5 || 6.2 || 2.7 || 9.0 || 2.6 || 1.9 |- | scope="row" text-align:center | 2023| | 3 || 19 || 34 || 18 || 139 || 59 || 198 || 54 || 52 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 7.3 || 3.1 || 10.4 || 2.8 || 2.7|- style="background:#EAEAEA; font-weight:bold; width:2em"| scope="row" text-align:center class="sortbottom" colspan=3 | Career| 59| 99| 42| 401| 163| 564| 161| 126| 1.7| 0.7| 6.8| 2.8| 9.6| 2.7| 2.1|}

Honours and achievements

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dogs' cult hero focusing on 'flea-like' moves to keep spot in best 22. 6 July 2021. AFL Media. 7 September 2021.
  2. Web site: Flea ready for finals fever. Western Bulldogs Media. 31 August 2021. 26 August 2021.
  3. Web site: 2019-07-31 . Selling cows, wish chips and the Tiger mentoring top draft prospect . 2023-09-01 . afl.com.au . en.
  4. AFL Record. Round 2, 2022. pg 37
  5. Web site: 2023-08-31 . Cody Weightman . 2023-09-01 . Zero Hanger . en-US.
  6. Web site: Cody Weightman. Aussie Rules Draft Central. 19 July 2020. english.
  7. News: Draft reward for willing Weightman. Westernbulldogs.com.au. Twomey. Callum. 28 November 2019. 23 July 2020. english.
  8. Web site: Cody Weightman - About Me. Pickstar. 19 July 2020. english.
  9. Web site: Allies vs Vic Country. 9 June 2019. 4 September 2019. Aussie Rules Draft Central.
  10. Web site: Vic Country vs South Australia. Aussie Rules Draft Central. 28 June 2019. 4 September 2021.
  11. Web site: Scouting notes: AFL U18 Championships – Vic Country vs. South Australia. Aussie Rules Draft Central. 1 July 2019. 4 September 2021. Alvaro. Michael.
  12. Web site: REVEALED: The 2019 U18 All Australian team. 23 July 2020. english.
  13. Web site: 2019 National Championships - Statistics. Aussie Rules Draft Central. 4 September 2021.
  14. Web site: Cows, surfing, art: Cody Weightman takes the scenic route at the Bulldogs. The Age. Baum. Greg. 4 September 2021. 4 September 2021.
  15. Web site: Class of 2019: 'Footy head' leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of dream. Twomey. Callum. 11 November 2019. 8 September 2021. AFL Media.
  16. Web site: Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft. 27 November 2019. Doerre. Chris. espn.com.au. 8 September 2021.
  17. Web site: Cal Twomey's 2019 Phantom Draft: Top 30, your club's whispers. AFL Media. 8 September 2021. 25 November 2019. Twomey. Callum.
  18. Web site: Cody Weightman. 19 July 2020. english.
  19. Web site: 2019 AFL Draft: Dogs take Cody Weightman with pick 15. 19 July 2020. english.
  20. Web site: Worth the wait for Cody. Pakenham Gazette. Lewis. Tyler. 8 October 2019. 19 July 2020. english.
  21. Web site: New Bulldogs get their numbers. 7 December 2019. 8 September 2021. Western Bulldogs Media.
  22. News: AFL Round 7 Team Whispers: Giants forced into late swap, Saints young gun to debut. Fox Sports. Waterworth. Ben. Balmer. Matt. 17 July 2020. 19 July 2020. english.
  23. News: Two Stingrays to debut in same AFL Game - as opponents. Herald Sun. 19 July 2020. english.
  24. Web site: Round 7 • Essendon Bombers v Western Bulldogs. 19 July 2020. english.
  25. Web site: Cody Weightman makes dream Dogs debut. 19 July 2020. english.
  26. News: Dogs haul Dons back to earth with second-half smashing. Whiting. Dominic. 18 July 2020. 19 July 2020. english.
  27. Web site: Cody's first game to remember. 19 July 2020. english.
  28. Web site: TEAM NEWS - Round 11. 7 August 2020. Western Bulldogs Media. 25 May 2021.
  29. Web site: Weightman eyes 2021 opportunity. Western Bulldogs Media. 25 May 2021. 18 December 2020.
  30. Web site: Huge grab, big injury as Dogs get home over Blues. Rhodes. Brendan. AFL Media. 10 May 2021. 16 May 2021.
  31. Web site: Western Bulldogs outmuscle Power to move to the top. Barrett. Steve. The Age. 15 May 2021. 16 May 2021.
  32. Web site: Western Bulldogs beat Port Adelaide by 19 points, Richmond defeats GWS by four, after wins for Sydney, Nth Melbourne and Brisbane. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 May 2021. 15 May 2021.
  33. Web site: Weightman grabs his chance. Western Bulldogs Media. 16 May 2021. 16 May 2021.
  34. Web site: GOAL OF THE YEAR: Watch. 25 May 2021. 17 May 2021. AFL Media.
  35. Web site: Worth the Weight, man: Livewire Bulldog earns Rising Star nod. 24 May 2021. 25 May 2021. AFL Media.
  36. Web site: Weightman a Rising Star. 24 May 2021. 25 May 2021. Western Bulldogs Media.
  37. Web site: Dogs' cult hero focusing on 'flea-like' moves to keep spot in best 22. 6 July 2021. AFL Media. 27 July 2021.
  38. Web site: AFL: All the action from the Round 16 Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne clash. Herald Sun. 27 July 2021. 4 July 2021. Paynter. Jack.
  39. Web site: Cody banks two more years. 20 July 2021. 20 July 2021. Western Bulldogs Media.
  40. Web site: Mark of the Year: 'What about that climb'. 27 July 2021. AFL Media. 26 July 2021.
  41. Web site: Western Bulldogs’ Cody Weightman takes mark of the year contender. Sullivan. Matthew. 27 July 2021. Herald Sun. 25 July 2021.
  42. Web site: ‘You’re on another poster mate’: Cody Weightman’s insane mark of the year contender over Max Gawn. Waterworth. Ben. Fox Sports. 27 July 2021. 24 July 2021.
  43. Web site: Elimination pain: Bombers' curse continues as Dogs march on to semis. AFL Media. 30 August 2021. Schmook. Nathan. 29 August 2021.
  44. Web site: Long wait continues for Essendon as Weightman leads Dogs to semi-final. Cherny. Daniel. The Age. 29 August 2021. 30 August 2021.
  45. Web site: Dogs end Dons' season in heated finals encounter. Geleit. Lachlan. sen.com.au. 30 August 2021. 29 August 2021.
  46. Web site: Bombers condemn racist abuse of star forward and attacks on Dogs rivals after final. Laughton. Max. 30 August 2021. 30 August 2021. Fox Sports.
  47. Web site: Injured Western Bulldogs star Josh Bruce trolls online haters of teammate Cody Weightman. news.com.au. 30 August 2021. 30 August 2021.
  48. Web site: Bontempelli still a chance to play in prelim despite knee injury. 6 September 2021. 8 August 2021. AFL Media.
  49. Web site: Scans clear Marcus Bontempelli of serious damage, but Western Bulldogs teammate Cody Weightman to miss. Healey. Catherine. The West Australian. 8 August 2021. 6 September 2021.
  50. Web site: Bont a chance to play, Weightman ruled out. 6 September 2021. 8 September 2021. AFL Media.
  51. Web site: Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs 2021 GF - Player Stats. 4 May 2022. afltables.com.
  52. Web site: Magpies ‘right fit’ for Lipinski, Weightman to undergo ankle surgery. 11 October 2021. Ward. Roy. The Age. 4 May 2022.
  53. Web site: ‘Emptiness’ driving Grand Final revenge. Gould. Russell. Fox Sports. 4 May 2022. 1 December 2021.
  54. Web site: AFL star proposes collaboration with Calvin Klein after suffering wardrobe malfunction on field . Sport Bible.
  55. Web site: Cody Weightman. AFL Tables. 9 November 2020.