Teens start to spark their Territory
Emma Quayle | July 6, 2007 | The Age
MARLON Motlop's season has not stuck to the script.
The Darwin teenager had hoped to spend three or four weeks in Adelaide this year, preparing for the under-18 championships in games played at a faster pace than he was used to.
Motlop went there almost straight after he returned from the AIS-AFL Academy trip to South Africa. But after playing his first game for the North Adelaide under 17s, he had to turn around.
"I played one game and that was it. My back got really sore, and it turned out I had stress fractures," said Motlop, who has four cousins and a brother, Thomas, on the North Adelaide list.
"I was looking forward to it. I thought it would help me get ready for the championships, and it would have been good to play footy with my cousins down there.
"I've had to do a bit of rehab and it's been frustrating. I haven't been playing as well as I've wanted, but it's been good just to get out there."
Motlop played his second match in more than two months yesterday, kicking two goals for the Northern Territory and setting up a third for teammate Peter Rolfe midway through a very wet final quarter on a sodden Skilled Stadium.
After another teammate, Paul Campbell, soccered the ball deep into the forward line, Motlop pressed back against his opponent and poked his toe at the ball. It bobbed up into the path of Rolfe, who put a third consecutive soccer kick through the goals.
The Territory boys, well beaten by NSW/ACT in the first round of the championships, responded with a 45-point win over Tasmania. Austin Wonaeamirri and Cyril Rioli were among their best players, while potential first-round pick Tom Collier playing very well for Tasmania.
The NSW/ACT team beat Queensland by 62 points in the second match, the Queenslanders winless after their first two games and out of the running to win consecutive championships.
Alan McConnell coached Motlop through the Academy program and believes his bright mind and sharper skills will appeal at draft time.
"He's got exceptional skill. He's a one-touch player, he's got lovely balance, a good sidestep and great awareness," McConnell said.
"He was the best decision-maker in the testing we did at the AIS and that's a big plus, but one of the things Marlon probably needs to work on is his decision-making around transitions, and his ability to work both ways.
"At this stage, when the ball leaves his space he tends to stop and watch, or wait for the next possession rather than find his man when he can't influence the play. There's a bit of work to do there, but that's not unusual for boys who are at the top of the tree in junior footy. He certainly has some talent."
Motlop, a cousin of Daniel and Shannon Motlop, has new plans. He was happier yesterday than he was after his first game of the championships and knows what he wants to work on through the rest of the year.
"I want to become a really hard runner, just do all the gut-busting running and break the lines," he said. "That's probably it, and just the in-close work. I want to make sure I get my hands on the ball."
Today's second-round division one games have been switched to Princes Park to prevent Skilled Stadium becoming more of a mudpit.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/teens-start-to-spark-their-territory/2007/07/05/1183351375976.html
