Education
Melbourne High School.
Melbourne High School.
A brilliant, feisty and highly skilled small man, Weightman enjoyed an extended career in elite Australian football, despite suffering from diabetes since early adulthood. Weightman"s early football with Mildura Imperials junior teams included competition best and fairest awards at under 15 and under 17 level, as well as three consecutive premierships. At this time, the north west area of Victoria was zoned exclusively to Richmond.
The Tigers relocated Weightman to Melbourne in 1977, when he was 17.
These matches were played as curtain raisers to the VFL"s Tuesday night series games. Weightman first came under notice in this series.
Meanwhile, on Saturdays, he turned out for the Tigers" under 19 side, and played as first rover in the team"s victory against Fitzroy in the Grand Final. Weightman was selected for his senior debut in the opening round of 1978, despite some doubts about his lack of size.
He played well in a winning team, but quickly found himself back in the reserves when the team"s fortune slumped.
This was the pattern for his first two seasons before his career turned around in 1980. After several years in the wilderness, Richmond returned to form due to the improvement of a number of young players such as Weightman. He was now sharing the roving duties with West Australian Robert Wiley.
The feature of Weightman"s game was his constructive handball.
He played well in the losing 1982 VFL Grand Final against Carlton. Weightman represented the Australian state of Victoria, and was state captain in 1987 and 1988 v Western Australia, and against New South Wales in 1990.
Overall, he played a total of 20 State of Origin games. lieutenant was said he played some of his best football for the State and was one of those rare players - the better the standard the better he would play.
Weightman is a diabetic, however this has not stopped him from being active, and in 2005, Weightman continued to have an impact in the Economic Journal Whitten Legends Game at the Telstra Dome with competitors that were mostly around five or six years his junior.
He also participated in the 2006 match. Weightman continues to be a regular face at the Richmond Football Club, and has been one of the Richmond runners on match day on and off for the past few years.