THE MOTLOP name in the AFL is synonymous with great footballing families that span generations. 

No one understands this better than Jesse Motlop, son of Daniel, and nephew of Steven and Marlon, to name a few. 

Growing up immersed in football, Jesse’s passion for the game was inevitable, fueling his dream of becoming a professional player from a young age.

After being drafted to Carlton in 2021, Motlop has played 40 games in the Navy Blue and is hungry for more after an interrupted 2024 season due to injury. 

“You’ve got to put it behind you and move on,” Motlop said. 

“I’ve got to put my best foot forward and see how I go.”

Looking fit and earning praise as the 'one to watch' among his teammates during pre-season training, Motlop has been doing just that. 

For the 21-year-old however, the motivation remains the same: to leave his mark on the game and carry his family’s proud legacy further into the history books.

“I don’t know any different, I’ve always been around the footy clubs,” he admitted. 

“That’s probably my purpose of why I play, to carry that legacy of the Motlop name. 

“All my family had such great careers and to do them justice and to better them and carry the name with such pride and wear it well.”

Creating excitement as a small forward has been Motlop’s trademark in his short time at Carlton and with teammates like Zac Williams and Ashton Moir joining him in the front half, he’s eager to add more to the scoreboard in the upcoming season.

Honouring his heritage and family any chance possible, his generational goal celebration not only pays tribute to those who came before him but also invites his teammates to share in the joy and connection to his culture.

“It’s called ‘Dhapirrk’, it means deadly up in Darwin, dad used to do it and he got it from a past player Gary Dhurrkay, he played for Fremantle and North Melbourne,” he said. 

“Steven used to do the finger twirl so I do that a bit – there are a few celebrations the Motlop’s used to do and it’s nice I can bring them out now. 

"The best thing about [Cottrell] is that he just embraces everyone and we were talking about it and I said he should do it when he kicks a goal and he did it." 

With the AFL’s Indigenous All-Star Match set to return after a decade, the forward expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing alongside fellow Indigenous teammates in the future.

Reflecting on memories of watching his father and uncles compete in the match, the proud Larrakia man shared that representing his people alongside other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players would be nothing short of a "dream come true."

“It would be an unbelievable honour to play for that team,” he said. 

“I remember being at the last one, I think it was at Leederville Oval in WA and I remember being a little kid supporting all the players. 

“I’d sit on the race and high-five them all and then chuck in a little ‘I’m Daniel Motlop’s son’, say all that.
 
“I’ve always loved watching those games and seeing the players come together, how fun it looks, and the energy that they give each other, it’s something you can’t really recreate and it’s so natural – hopefully one day [Zac and I] can get there.”