Toast Motlop

[catscratchfever]

Well the problem obviously was that we didn't do downhill enough.

Apparently most of the team didn’t follow his shining example

 

[Pollywaffle]

Waste of talent, had a knee issue which also hampered him but feel he did not do all he could to mitigate that and also get the best out of himself. Still eeked out a good career but could have been so much more

I thought he’d be a superstar when he first arrived but succumbed ultimately to the same fizzling out and unfulfilled promise that claimed Daniel, Shannon etc…
Be interesting to watch the career trajectory of the newest Carlton iteration.

 

[iameviljez]

As I’ve stated in a few other threads, I can’t understand how Smotlop kept getting a game for us. His last few seasons with Geelong were particularly woeful.

Look up ‘downhill skier’ in the dictionary: there’ll be a picture of Motlop next to the definition.

It brings me no great pleasure to say it but imho he was a dud as a player.

This is a bit too far the other way for me. Even after 2013, he was still going at better than a goal a game, with roughly twenty touches a game from half forward to boot. You will never get dropped on those numbers, ever - no matter the context.

I do agree in general with the "downhill skier" tag, with a couple of caveats. Firstly, that in that 2013 season, he was no downhill skier - he consistently played well in close games, played well in the finals series, and started to do the same in the back half of 2015 as we attempted to make the finals. He was also probably our best player across the three finals in 2017.

But in between those times, he'd keep filling his boots in twelve-goal wins against Brisbane and West Coast at home.

Motlop was never woeful IMO. He never went completely missing like Rohan, or had long goal droughts like Miers. He just never lived up to what he could have been when he was in his early 20s, and that's what made him so frustrating.

 

[Walter H White]

This is a bit too far the other way for me. Even after 2013, he was still going at better than a goal a game, with roughly twenty touches a game from half forward to boot. You will never get dropped on those numbers, ever - no matter the context.

I do agree in general with the "downhill skier" tag, with a couple of caveats. Firstly, that in that 2013 season, he was no downhill skier - he consistently played well in close games, played well in the finals series, and started to do the same in the back half of 2015 as we attempted to make the finals. He was also probably our best player across the three finals in 2017.

But in between those times, he'd keep filling his boots in twelve-goal wins against Brisbane and West Coast at home.

Motlop was never woeful IMO. He never went completely missing like Rohan, or had long goal droughts like Miers. He just never lived up to what he could have been when he was in his early 20s, and that's what made him so frustrating.

Agreed, I don't necessarily think he was a downhill skiier as he played very well in some finals. He was fantastic in the 2017 PF when Adelaide flogged us by 60 points.

The issue with Motlop was you could drive a freight train between his best and worst games, and that was what made him so infuriating as a Cats fan. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say his best (games, moments) was top 10 in the comp but his worst could be shockingly bad (probably exacerbated by his relaxed, "lazy" style of play).

Anyway, despite the latter, he gave us many fantastic times and I congratulate him on his 217 game career and wish him all the best in his future.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

217 games and a match winner on his day, that's a great career really.
Good on him, and all the best in retirement.

 

[Drunkcat]

Only had good seasons when his contract was up to hot and cold, should have dumped him about 3 more seasons before we did