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WITH debate raging on whether he will be this year's No.1 draft pick, Jacob Weitering is doing his best to not get caught up in the talk.
According to draft experts, the Dandenong Stingrays' key defender is vying with Murray Bushrangers' key forward Josh Schache for the coveted honour at November's NAB AFL Draft in Adelaide.
The 17-year-old has got a simple approach to combat the hype.
"You come to school and all your friends are talking about it, so you can't escape it at times," Weitering told AFL.com.au.
"It's obviously a little bit hard when you're trying to concentrate on your football and schooling, but I bring it back to my circle of influence and what I can control."
Conveniently for Weitering, that circle of influence includes Travis Johnstone, his runner at the Stingrays and the man Melbourne chose with the first pick in the 1997 draft.
"Trav has been really good and been a fantastic mentor with all his knowledge and wisdom for what's to come," said Weitering
"He's always willing to have a quiet word with you and he's someone you can draw on if you're having any troubles, so he's been fantastic."
Recruiters from one of Johnstone's former clubs, the Brisbane Lions, visited the family home in country Victoria this week and Weitering won't be disappointed if the Lions call his name out on draft night.
"At the end of the day my objective is to be on an AFL list and if the draft does take me to an interstate club that's the way it goes," he said
"My family has prepared me for a situation like that and I feel I'm independent and mature enough to handle it."
With a firm understanding of what could await in the future, Weitering is just concentrating on the present.
TAC Cup and school footy take up much of his time, but he's also completing year 12 and has racked up "80 hours" on his L-plates.
His life is so busy, Weitering is unlikely to find time to test himself at state league level like many other prospects do.
"It's just been too hard with school football and leading into (TAC Cup) finals I don't think a VFL game is likely for me," said Weitering.
"It's probably best to stick with the Stingrays, get some continuity, play with the boys I know and hopefully win a premiership."
If the Stingrays are to take home the flag, there's every chance they'll have to beat Schache and the Bushrangers to do so.
With both teams sitting high on the TAC Cup ladder, a September rematch of the pair's much-publicised 'battle for pick one' from earlier in the season looms.
"I've played a lot with Josh, but besides training, that's the first time I played against him," said Weitering, who had the better of Schache in round 13.
"We're mates off the field, but we were enemies on the field that day.
"We did keep him to one goal, but it was a team effort."
And while AFL.com.au's draft guru Callum Twomey currently has him shading Schache for the number one spot, Weitering insists there isn't a friendly rivalry between the two.
"To be honest, we've never had that conversation and we don't worry about it too much." Weitering said.
