Carlton midfielder Ed Curnow says former No.1 draft pick Jacob Weitering is now a “physical beast” and he’s expecting big improvement from the young defender this season.

Weitering is entering his fourth season after being taken with the first pick of the 2015 national draft.

Curnow said he’d noticed a huge improvement from Weitering over the summer and his body now looked like that of a senior player.

“He’s got a real thirst to be the leader of the backline,” Curnow told Sportsday.

“He’s a physical beast down there.

“I’m expecting a real step up from Jacob, just based on the way he trains.”

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