Fremantle prospect and South Fremantle, Aquinas College young gun Jesse Motlop’s stunning senior NTFL debut
Grey Morris and Jordan McArdleThe West Australian
South Fremantle and Aquinas College’s 2021 draft prospect Jesse Motlop was rewarded for his stunning Northern Territory league debut on Saturday with a rising star nomination.
The son of Port Adelaide and North Melbourne forward Daniel made his senior debut for NTFL Premier League club Wanderers against Tiwi Bombers and created an instant impression with his 15 touches, four marks and three goals.
One attempt at mark of the year almost came off when Motlop rose high above the pack, reminding fans at the ground of the spring-heeled leap his dad possessed in his playing days.
His sparkling first senior outing for the Muk Muks was enough to gain Jesse the Round 11 nomination for the NT News Rising Star.
A member of Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy squad while completing his schooling at Aquinas College, Motlop’s on-field action is tied to his school side and the South Fremantle colts.
Motlop took out the PSA footy’s leading goal-kicker award with 41 majors for the season, including an 11-goal haul against Wesley.
He followed it up with a four-goal effort for the Bulldogs in the final home-and-away round of the colts season to be in contention for a State under-18s call-up.
“I try to rotate between forward pocket and the wing, usually at a time when I’m getting into the game or can’t get into it is when I move out to a wing,’’ Motlop told the NT News.
“The only thing I wasn’t into in my first league game was the amount of time the quarters go for up here, because after the first quarter I was struggling a bit.
Jesse Motlop goes long in his senior debut for Wanderers. Credit: Felicity Elliott AFLNT/Media
“But it was a lot of fun, I’ve always dreamed about running out with the Wanderers Premier League side and to have my uncles Brenton and Aaron there with me and my cousin Matthew as well, was pretty good.’’
Motlop said AFL football was his ultimate goal, with the 2021 draft on his radar after filling in the relevant nomination forms this year.
Fremantle have first access to the exciting forward through their NGA, but only if he slips outside of the top-20 picks thanks to recent rule changes.
“My draft year begins really begins now in 2020-21, so it’s time to get down to work and make sure I’m nominated,” he said.
“The Dockers have me in their Academy at the moment, kind of like a father-son, so they have priority over me in terms of being drafted.”
His dad’s 11-season AFL career stretched from 2001 to 2011 with North Melbourne (47 games) and Port Adelaide (83), including kicking 208 goals through a series of big marks and freakish finishing inside the 50 metre arc.
“I didn’t appreciate it when dad played in the AFL, it was only later when I got to watch his highlights I realised what a good player he was,” Jesse said.
Grey Morris and Jordan McArdleThe West Australian
South Fremantle and Aquinas College’s 2021 draft prospect Jesse Motlop was rewarded for his stunning Northern Territory league debut on Saturday with a rising star nomination.
The son of Port Adelaide and North Melbourne forward Daniel made his senior debut for NTFL Premier League club Wanderers against Tiwi Bombers and created an instant impression with his 15 touches, four marks and three goals.
One attempt at mark of the year almost came off when Motlop rose high above the pack, reminding fans at the ground of the spring-heeled leap his dad possessed in his playing days.
His sparkling first senior outing for the Muk Muks was enough to gain Jesse the Round 11 nomination for the NT News Rising Star.
A member of Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy squad while completing his schooling at Aquinas College, Motlop’s on-field action is tied to his school side and the South Fremantle colts.
Motlop took out the PSA footy’s leading goal-kicker award with 41 majors for the season, including an 11-goal haul against Wesley.
He followed it up with a four-goal effort for the Bulldogs in the final home-and-away round of the colts season to be in contention for a State under-18s call-up.
“I try to rotate between forward pocket and the wing, usually at a time when I’m getting into the game or can’t get into it is when I move out to a wing,’’ Motlop told the NT News.
“The only thing I wasn’t into in my first league game was the amount of time the quarters go for up here, because after the first quarter I was struggling a bit.
Jesse Motlop goes long in his senior debut for Wanderers. Credit: Felicity Elliott AFLNT/Media
“But it was a lot of fun, I’ve always dreamed about running out with the Wanderers Premier League side and to have my uncles Brenton and Aaron there with me and my cousin Matthew as well, was pretty good.’’
Motlop said AFL football was his ultimate goal, with the 2021 draft on his radar after filling in the relevant nomination forms this year.
Fremantle have first access to the exciting forward through their NGA, but only if he slips outside of the top-20 picks thanks to recent rule changes.
“My draft year begins really begins now in 2020-21, so it’s time to get down to work and make sure I’m nominated,” he said.
“The Dockers have me in their Academy at the moment, kind of like a father-son, so they have priority over me in terms of being drafted.”
His dad’s 11-season AFL career stretched from 2001 to 2011 with North Melbourne (47 games) and Port Adelaide (83), including kicking 208 goals through a series of big marks and freakish finishing inside the 50 metre arc.
“I didn’t appreciate it when dad played in the AFL, it was only later when I got to watch his highlights I realised what a good player he was,” Jesse said.
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