THE LIFESTYLE of an AFL player is envied by many.

These men play football for a living and are well paid to do so.

But it’s not all as cushy as it seems.

Along with the many joys that football provides, comes some dark times – times that Sam Weideman has endured in 2019.

The 21-year-old hasn’t met the expectations placed on him after a breakout finals series last season and has been dealt scrutiny like no other.

And while he is a strong character that has dealt with the hardships in a professional manner, it has still taken its toll.

“I was going through some tough times and there’s a lot of different pressures which started weighing me down which I hadn’t really had before, to this extent,” Weideman told Melbourne Media.

“It does affect you off the field. You try not to let it get to you but it’s pretty hard to shy away from it.”

Weideman’s form, or lack thereof, came as media associated an enormous price tag with the former first-round draft pick.

With the entire football world watching, the key forward felt pressure like never before, and it wasn’t just his on-field performance that was hindered.

He was embarrassed by his efforts and as a result, opted to keep to himself.

“There was a point where I didn’t really want to leave the house too much because I was probably thinking about what other people were thinking of me,” he said.

“Having that worrying me too much was affecting me and others around me, which was a shame and something I didn’t really want to control my life, which is something I’m hoping to put to bed now and move forward.”

Just 26 games into his career at the time, Weideman made the decision to deactivate his social media accounts – a wise move for someone being taunted so regularly.

“As much as I didn’t want the comments to affect me, they did unfortunately,” Weideman said.

“I know I try to shy away from it, but they were all just coming back to hit me in the face pretty hard.

“I have a lot of respect for our supporters and I do value what they say about me, so to hear and see a few words that didn’t really fall my way and were quite hurtful, it was challenging.

“I know that comes with footy and I’ve got to cop it, but I think it was probably best for me to stay away from that.”

While supporters ride the highs and lows of footy with their heroes, they can at times let their emotions get the better of them and be oblivious to the impact of their words.

“I think there’s a lot of passion coming out in their comments and I don’t think they understand the power it can have on the players and how much effect it can have,” Weideman said.

“We don’t go searching for these sorts of comments­­­­ but sometimes they’re quite direct and unavoidable.

“It still happens today but I’ve tried to stay away from it and steer clear from it, so deleting that was the best thing for me.”

Weideman is fully aware that criticism is part of the caper in this industry and is by no means shying away from that.

But playing at the top level is a challenge that nobody can quite relate to.

“When you come in as an 18-year-old you don’t really understand that there is a lot of scrutiny that comes with it,” Weideman said.

“You’ve got to be performing at all times to try and adapt to the level.

“I think I’m at a point this year where I need to … try and build myself back up to be a consistent performer because that’s what I want to be going forward.”

Fresh off a two-year contract extension, Weideman is ready to reestablish himself, but admits his self-belief dissipated in the early parts of the season.

“It all really spiraled pretty quickly, and I was finding it very difficult to come out of it,” he said.

“I think it was the Richmond game that was my last game, I was in a pretty dark place.

“I came off the ground and I just wanted to get off there as quick as I could.

“I was probably being exposed in a way that I didn’t want to be playing and I was finding it really difficult.

“I think having that belief taken away by my performances really hurt me and going back to Casey was massive.

“It’s a massive thing belief, and it can be taken away really quickly, so I’ve got to try to manage that as best I can.”

In case Weideman hadn’t been tested enough this year, Round 11 threw another curveball at the Demon.

After being the latest of late inclusions to face Adelaide, Weideman had the chance to be the hero and kick his side to victory last Saturday night, but his shot went astray.

“At the top of my mark I felt confident,” he said.

“I was going through my routine which was what we get told to do, but I just didn’t hit it off the foot right and it sailed through the points which I feel pretty sick about – constantly replaying it in my head.

“I’m very grateful for the boys getting around me after the game – that was really important.

“Hopefully I can get the chance to redeem myself one day.”

Weideman, like all players, feels the pain of defeat, and has been challenged more than most in recent weeks.

“I obviously felt like I did let the team down, let the fans down, because we were in such a winnable position and to have the chance to really seal the game, to win the game,” he said.

“I wanted to hide at that point. I was feeling very low and it was difficult.

“But I’ve learnt how to deal with this pressure and I’m feeling better for it.

“We’ve got to move on pretty quickly because we’ve got such a big game coming this weekend, but Goody (Simon Goodwin) always speaks about learning each week, and as tough a loss as it was, we’ve got a lot to learn off it.”

In just his fourth year of senior footy, Weideman is certainly learning, and growing as a player and person every step of the way.

The insights he has provided allow fans to put themselves in the shoes of a human who is simply trying his best.