Season recap:

Witts played every match in 2018 and was one of Gold Coast’s most reliable players in the ruck and midfield. He averaged 39 hit-outs a game and was able to use his 209cm frame to monster his direct opponents throughout the year. 2018 was Witts’ first official year in the leadership group and he was rewarded in Round 20 with the captaincy when Tom Lynch, Steven May and David Swallow were all missing through injury. Witts was nominated by his teammates for the AFL Players’ Association MVP award alongside Swallow and Jarrod Harbrow.
 

Best performances:

Witts had some huge numbers throughout the season, most notably notching 64 hit-outs against GWS, 60 against Carlton and 58 against the Bulldogs. He also had nine tackles and 56 hit-outs in the historic win against the Swans.
 

Moment of the season:

Being given the opportunity to captain the side in Round 20 at the MCG would have been a memorable moment for the ruckman.

What’s next?:

Witts says he is always working on ways to improve his game, whether that is working on his fitness to cover more of the ground or the physical side of his game. Witts is in the conversation as one of the top five rucks in the competition but he will be striving for an improvement in 2019 to push into top three consideration.
 

From the coach:

“Wittsy was extremely reliable this year in the ruck for us. There were plenty of games where he was able to dominate the hit-outs and give our midfield first use. His leadership was also something that we valued highly, especially when he was stand-in captain for us in Round 20 against Melbourne. We’ve been really impressed by how Wittsy has been able to handle the sole ruck duties over the last two seasons and will be hoping to continue that again next season.” – Stuart Dew

 

By the numbers: