#11 Marlon Motlop

**blackdiamond** · 25 Nov 2007, 09:32

Marlon Motlop

Height: 179

Weight: 76

Date of Birth: 17th April 1990

Nickname:

Contract Details: Expires end of 2009

Position: Midfielder / Small Forward

SANFL Club: North Adelaide

Recruited From: NT Wanderers (Pick 28 [acquired from the Crows for Brad Symes] in the 2007 National Draft)

Career Games: 2

Career Goals: 1

For more career stats click here.

More info on Marlon Motlop

A prolific ball winner who influences the game with his exceptional skills. He is a quality decision maker and possesses a classy sidestep. Won the Alan McLean medal for best player division two player at the 2006 U16 Championships. Motlop is a graduate of the 2006/07 AIS-AFL Academy which toured South Africa in April. He is the cousin of Port Adelaide's Daniel Motlop. From Wanderers FC.

Highlight Reel

How To: Embed a YouTube video.

**Ford Fairlane** · 26 Nov 2007, 05:48

I was disappointed on missing out on Greenwood, liked his strength and hardness at the ball. But since Stewart left and Hartley arrived and maybe in between, Port's recruiting philosophy looks to have changed from grabbing the well-rounded, solid player who does most things well, to getting players with a genuine X-factor and not worrying about a shortcoming elsewhere, figuring they can fix that with skills training at the "Alberton Academy". So we get very tall KPPs (Westhoff, Lobbe) or express pace on ballers (Krakouer, Motlop) or just freaky players (Gray), rather than the M Stevens and Koulouriotis of former days.

Anyway, if Motlop lives up to hype (and I know Kevin Sheehan will talk up any U18), we could have, as the young people say, a "jet".

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...-12428,00.html

Quote:

Motlop 'a steal' at No. 28
Article from: The Advertiser
ANDREW CAPEL
November 26, 2007 01:15am

PORT Adelaide is talking up key position prospect Matthew Lobbe but Marlon Motlop is its draft day steal.

Regarded as the most brilliant of the Motlop clan, the cousin of Daniel could easily have been a top-10 selection if injury hadn't ruined his season, according to AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan.

"As a 17-year-old this year we didn't see the best of him because he had a few little injuries - but he's a player I really like," Sheehan said.

"At the Under-16 nationals in Queensland last year he was an absolute star with his clean hands, the length of his kicking, his agility and his ability to sidestep players.

"He looked a top-10 pick at that stage."

etc ...

PAFCsince1870 · 26 Nov 2007, 08:42

Marlon easily excites me the most out of any of our 2007 draftees.

Sounds like he will be a Port player for life too

Malibu#27 · 26 Nov 2007, 09:06

He excites me too ... and Choco obviously:

Quote:

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams was overheard exclaiming "Yes!" after the Crows made their second round choice. He was either really happy that Adelaide picked up Oakleigh Charger Andy Otten at No.27, or extremely pleased that it allowed his club to snare dynamic forward Marlon Motlop with the next pick. We're thinking the latter.

One thing I'm happy about is as a club we have come out picked who we wanted and are now going about business..... rahter than trying to sell the merits of our new draftees by claiming they were all rated inside the best 20 players - or similar. I'm not sure who our friends down the road are trying to convince by suggesting they have picked up 4 top 21 players.

Enviable Tradition · 26 Nov 2007, 10:29

on his video he look more like s burgoyne than d motlop. He will be a midfield gun. We now need to develop the likes of m thomas and farmer to get in there and get the ball out to the likes of motlop, burgoyne and pierce and we will be away.

Black 18 · 26 Nov 2007, 10:45

I had a very interesting discussion with a friend last night who is heavily involved in talent identification with a Vic based club. He was saying Marlon Motlop was "easily" top 10 material, possibly top 5. The reason many clubs stayed clear was his history of serious back complaints. He also made mention of the fact Robbie Gray & Nathan Krakouer were in a similar position (injury prone) last year and that's why Robbie & Nathan dropped down the order so much.

So, let's hope Choco can develop a "Medical Acadmey", so we get to see the the very best of these young men over many years.

**Macca19** · 26 Nov 2007, 11:09

I havent seen him play, but from what ive read, I see him more as a midfielder than small forward as well. The only query is his injury problems. Hopefully its something that he'll grow out of.

**Ford Fairlane** · 26 Nov 2007, 12:10

IIRC Boak had similar problems - back stress fractures, in his case from fast bowling when he was younger. Didn't appear to worry him last season, so hopefully Motlop will be ok (recognising his cousin can also be seen as a bit fragile).

P.A.F.C · 27 Nov 2007, 18:24

IMO I think Motlop will be a great get for us. The game now is evolving to more interchanges and swapping of positions. Sure we have lots of small forwards in Krakouer, Gray, Ebert and D.Motlop but except for Daniel, all can play in the midfield and all are pretty unique. Having Gray, Pearce, M.Motlop, S.Burgoyne, Ebert and Gray all roaming through the midfield and the forward line is a fantastic thing to look forward to.

Jakko · 27 Nov 2007, 22:56

Ive been trying to find his draft camp results to get an idea on his endurance, but havent had any luck.

**blackdiamond** · 30 Nov 2007, 06:01

courtesy www.theadvertiser.com.au

Marlon won't let Port down

PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams had to draft excitement machine Marlon Motlop.

If he hadn't he would not have heard the end of it.

"I pumped Marlon up to Choco (Williams) a fair bit before the draft," Motlop's cousin and current Power forward Daniel Motlop said.

"I wanted him here and in the end it worked, which is great for us and good for the family.

"I don't think he'll let the club down."

Daniel has long considered Marlon the best of the Motlop clan, which also includes his brother, former Melbourne and current North Adelaide forward Shannon, and Roosters reserves player Thomas, who is Marlon's older brother.

"He's a smooth mover and he's got all the attributes you need to make it," Daniel said of 17-year-old Marlon.

Possessing blistering speed, great evasiveness, balance, exquisite skills and footy-smarts, Marlon might turn out to be a steal at pick No. 28 in Saturday's national draft.

Anyone who caught a glimpse of him at his first training session with the Power on Wednesday could only have been impressed.

While thin at just 75kg, he glided over the ground like a jet – a genuine blue-chip prospect – and, like other members of his family, he has freakish skills.

AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan rated Marlon a top-10 prospect a year ago before his stock dropped following stress fractures in his back, which restricted him to just four games for Wanderers in Darwin this year.

"I'm on top of that now," Marlon, who won the Alan McLean Medal as best player at the 2006 national under-16 championships, said.

"I had some soreness in my back for a while but I've fixed it through rest and exercise.

"It was an overuse injury as much as anything and I don't expect it to trouble me again."

Marlon, who like the other Motlops is tied to the Roosters, is delighted to join his cousin at Alberton and other family members in SA, saying Port was the club he wanted to go to.

"It's a lot more comforting having Daniel here," he said of being drafted by the AFL's family club. "It was great when I got told I was going to Port because it will make it a lot easier for me to settle in because I've got someone I know at the club.

"Daniel's already intoduced me to the blokes and has helped me out with anything I need." Marlon is excited at the prospect of linking up with 25-year-old Daniel on the field.

Because of their age difference, the dynamic duo have never played in the same side. "I've seen a lot of him and I know what he's like and how he plays and I'm sure we'll have a good understanding together,'` Marlon said.

He also is looking forward to playing alongside Peter and Shaun Burgoyne, two of his childhood heroes.

"I reckon we can have some fun together," Marlon said.

"We all like to run and carry the footy so it should be pretty exciting."

But first this self-confessed king of PlayStation soccer – "I'm the king of the Motlops anyway," Marlon said – knows he has to get his body AFL-ready. That will require a big pre-season and plenty of work in the gym.

"That's my only focus at this stage," Marlon said.

"I have to work hard, put on some weight and earn the respect of the player group."

While Marlon is supposed to be the best Motlop to hit the AFL scene, his reputation might not last long.

Daniel's younger brother, Steven, is currently setting the Northern Territory Football League alight – at just 16 years of age.

"He goes alright," Marlon said with a smile.

"He's got a bit of growing to do because he's pretty thin but he's as good as anyone up in the Territory right now.

"Don't be surprised if he's here next year as well."

**Ford Fairlane** · 30 Nov 2007, 06:05

The buzz around Motlop continues to grow. Even Andrew Capel used the word 'jet' to describe him (without referring to him as controversially selected before Levi Greenwood

). He sounds like he has a first-rate attitude to his football, which is a great match-up with his skills. Saw a little footage on the news of Marlon at training and he does like his jinking, side-stepping runs.

**blackdiamond** · 30 Nov 2007, 06:20

courtesy www.portadelaidefc.com.au

The more Motlops the merrier

THERE are already two Motlops on the Port Adelaide list and if it were up to Daniel and Marlon, the forward line would soon be filled with their brothers and cousins.

Marlon, drafted by the Power at No.28 in the NAB AFL Draft, is widely regarded as the “best” Motlop to emerge from the footballing clan so far.
The exciting 17-year-old had been touted as a top-10 draft pick when he took out the Allan McLean medal for the best and fairest player in division two of the U16 Championships last year.

But an injury-interrupted 2007 saw Motlop slip through to Port Adelaide’s second-round pick.

“I got a phone call from the club’s recruiting manager Blair Hartley the night before the draft and he said, ‘I’ll be seeing you shortly’, so that gave me a bit of a hint as to where I was going,” Motlop said.

“When I actually got called out on draft day I just looked over at Dad and we were both pretty excited.”

Motlop, who temporarily relocated to Adelaide earlier this year to play in the North Adelaide U17s, doesn’t expect it will take him long to adapt to life in the city of churches.

“Having Daniel here makes it a bit easier to fit in and to become comfortable,” he said.

“Daniel shows me around and takes me places. I’ve also got my brother Thomas playing for North Adelaide and living down here so that helps as well.

“Whenever I came to Adelaide [in the past] and I went to Daniel’s place Peter [Burgoyne] would be there, so I got to meet him while ago.

“Now, I get to train with Peter and Shaun and play at the same club so, it’s pretty exciting.”

Daniel was quick to claim the credit for bringing his younger cousin to Alberton.

“I was talking to Choco [Williams] before the draft and trying to pump Marlon up a bit to get him here,” he said.

“In the end, luckily he got here and it was a pretty proud day for the family. It gives them another Motlop to watch. There are a few more [Motlops] running around in Darwin at the moment too, so we’ll see what happens and who is the best.”

Marlon’s arrival on Tuesday added another branch to the ever-growing Port Adelaide family tree.

The Motlops are now the second set of cousins at the Power, behind Fijian-born duo David Rodan and Alipate Carlile, who are second cousins.

Even coach Mark Williams toes the family line with his brother Stephen employed as a development coach with the club.

“I think it’s becoming a bit of a family club with the Westhoffs [Justin and Matt] and those sort of boys here. Obviously we’ve got the Cornes boys [Chad and Kane] and the Burgoyne boys [Peter and Shaun] too and it makes it a lot easier,” Daniel Motlop said.

“When I went to North Melbourne my older brother Shannon was there too and it does help. Hopefully we can get some more Motlops here, too.”

Marlon, like his enigmatic cousin, is a smooth mover and is mighty clever in front of goals.

But at just 75kg, 12kg lighter than Daniel, Marlon knows he has some work to do before he’s ready to strut his stuff on the big stage.

“I had my first training session yesterday and it was pretty tough, but it was good and I had a bit of fun,” he said.

“My goal is just to have a good pre-season and to get some strength through my body. I need to get used to the workload and then hopefully I can get a run sooner rather than later.”

Marlon, although keen to develop as his own player, said there were a few similarities with Daniel.

“I think I can kick some goals, and Daniel kicks a few too, so we have that in common,” he said with a smile.

“I grew up watching guys like Byron Pickett and Shaun Burgoyne. Since Daniel moved across to Port I started watching him more closely too. Blokes like Andrew McLeod and those guys [Pickett and Burgoyne] play similar roles and are good runners with a lot of poise, so I sort of model my game on them.”

Like McLeod and the Burgoyne boys, Marlon and Daniel originate from the Northern Territory.

The duo played for the Wanderers Football Club under Daniel’s uncle, Mark Motlop, but with eight years separating them in age, they have never played in the same team.

“In the backyard we always seemed to end up on the same team against all the other cousins,” Daniel said.

“But we’ve never played for the same club before, so hopefully he (Marlon) gets a game, I get a game and we’ll see what happens.”

Malibu#27 · 30 Nov 2007, 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Fairlane

The buzz around Motlop continues to grow. Even Andrew Capel used the word 'jet' to describe him (without referring to him as controversially selected before Levi Greenwood

). He sounds like he has a first-rate attitude to his football, which is a great match-up with his skills. Saw a little footage on the news of Marlon at training and he does like his jinking, side-stepping runs.

I'm waiting for Capels Patrick "Controversally selected ahead of Brad Ebert" Dangerfield comment to come out.... I reckon it only took a week or two for the Sellar line last year. Ironically - Brad Ebert is probably going to debut before Sellar anyway.

**blackdiamond** · 3 Dec 2007, 01:10