SEIZE the opportunity.
Competition for spots is as hot as ever at IKON Park according to Jesse Motlop, but all that’s doing is driving players to a new level.
There was a selection squeeze at Carlton in the back-end of last year, and from a forwards standpoint, the acquisition of the experienced Orazio Fantasia and Elijah Hollands provides even further headaches for Carlton’s match committee.
Motlop himself isn’t setting specific goals of what he wants to achieve, using 2023 - his second season at the helm - as a learning curve. He finished the season with 24 goals, including two in the semi final against Melbourne, but also found himself out of the side just after the midway point of the campaign.
“I don’t want to be too cliche, but I try and follow the process, not putting too many goals that end in results. That can take your mind away from the present and what you’re actually doing,” Motlop told FOX Sports News.
“To be honest, [last year] is where I learnt it from. It’s about the process. We focus on each opposition every week and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. What we had last year, we need to build again.”
From a Carlton team perspective, attention turned to how the Blues’ forward line would structure up following the news that Jack Silvagni would be unavailable for the entire 2024 season due to a ruptured ACL.
According to Motlop, it wouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach going forward.
“We’re all about the squad mentality. The way we’re training at the moment, you could pick any one of the boys.
“We’ve got a great group. It’s pretty sad about Jack, but he’s a great leader in his own way and he looks after the boys. He’s in great spirits and he’ll be around all the time.
“We’ve got the mosquito fleet and all the tall boys as well. The chemistry is building, everybody is getting along.
“There’s 45 of us, and we’re all ready.”
