WHEN THE tap on the shoulder comes after an extended stint in the AFL side, it can sometimes seem like the football world is closing in.

For Jesse Motlop, it was no different. But what ensued was the fire-starter for a sharp rise in the second half of the year.

In his second season, Motlop started the year in the senior team as a starting small forward. Six goals in four games was a bright start, but after the Round 13 loss to Essendon - that Round 13 loss to Essendon - the conversation came.

It wasn’t a malicious conversation. It wasn’t one where he got hit between the eyes. But there was still a sense of frustration when it came.

“We knew my best footy was good enough to be in the team, but unfortunately it wasn’t there at the time. It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me,” Motlop said.

“Being dropped isn’t the best feeling in the world, even if it was the best for me. Seeing what the boys were achieving while I was in the twos was annoying, but then to finally be part of it, it was like a brand new team.

“I gained my confidence back again . . . it did me wonders.”

Given the way Motlop has burst onto the scene, it’s easy to forget that 2023 marked just his second campaign in the elite competition.

After earning a reprieve at the last possible minute for the Round 18 game with Port, Motlop didn’t look back. He kicked four that day, the sealer against Collingwood in Round 20 and then a semi-final stunner against Melbourne which set up Blake Acres’ heroics.

Not bad for someone who admitted to enjoying a pre-game brownie that day against his dad’s old side.

For the youngster, the differences between year one and two were stark.

“If I’m speaking honestly, in your first yearly you’re almost just happy to be there. You’re really just happy to be out on the field, getting a few kicks — kick a goal and you’re happy with that,” he said.

“You’re wanting to have an impact on the team and making your teammates a lot better. It’s something I tried to bring into my game this year, making others better and having that impact on the game.”

Don’t be mistaken, though: there’s still nothing he enjoys more than bringing the Carlton collective to its feet after a goal. 

His form in the back-end of the year, in his eyes, was a result of backing himself in and backing his instincts. The second guessing which plagued both him and the Blues in the middle of the year was following by a releasing of the shackles.

Take that goal against Melbourne in front of 96,000 people as the perfect example.

“When there’s so much pressure, it comes down to a lot of instinct, and that’s when I play my best footy. When you’re not thinking, your natural abilities kick in — when I overthink things is when things don’t go my way.

“The first thing when I went into the change rooms [after the semi final], Dad was like ‘Why the hell did you run that way?!’. I’m just reacting off natural instinct.

“When the crowd’s roaring and all you see is the footy, you play to your strengths. It’s definitely fun kicking a few goals in front of that many people.”