- Feb 28, 2003
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Break a cure for Motlop's homesickness
02 July 2004 Herald Sun
Jon Pierik
WHILE most of his Kangaroo teammates opted to relax around home during their mid-season sabbatical, Daniel Motlop had other ideas.
Given six days off by the Roos, Motlop and partner Jade returned to Darwin to baptise their seven-month-old son, Jesse. The warm weather was also an incentive, as was the chance to enjoy one of his favourite escapes, fishing.
"I haven't been back to Darwin for a while, it was good to get back there," Motlop said this week. "It's been hard to get back home."
In keeping with the loyal community he has forged here, Motlop journeyed home with his cousin, close mate and counterpart at Melbourne, Aaron Davey, and Adele Touey, the girlfriend of teammate Daniel Harris.
Davey gladly accepted the invitation to be Jesse's godfather and Adele, a close friend of Jade, is godmother.
Motlop, 22, said he is delighted to have Davey as godfather.
About 40 attended the christening and the day was treated as a great celebration.
The chance to nab some Barramundi, warm bones that otherwise would be feeling the winter chill and ward off early signs of homesickness was also welcomed.
Motlop said he is coping far better in Melbourne now but "every now and again I want to go home". Indeed, it was only last October when he sought to be traded after only two seasons with the Roos.
A major reason was that he was homesick and wanted to be with family in Adelaide.
Jade, then pregnant, also wanted to be with relatives in South Australia while he knew his older brother, Shannon, would be delisted by the club.
"It's a better lifestyle over there, but I'm happy to be back here," he said.
Like all youngsters who lob in a new city, Motlop knows how hard it is to make friends.
But through the likes of Davey, teammates Harris, Daniel Wells, Ed Sansbury and Essendon's Dean Rioli, he has formed strong bonds.
"You can't do the same things you can do up in Darwin," he said recently.
"Up there, you sit around and relax and don't worry about everything.
"You just go out fishing whenever you want.
"Here you have to drive out a fair way to do all those sort of things.
"But the Kangaroos are a good club and hopefully I'll stay with them my whole career."
A clever half-forward, Motlop has played every game this season without dominating in the manner he would like.
He does have 20 goals but would like more, if for no other reason than to get the better of Davey.
The pair, who have been competing against each other since their mid-teens, have a bet on who kicks the most goals this year.
The loser has to buy drinks and dinner when they get back home to Darwin at the end of the year.
Davey leads that battle by three goals.
"It's going all right at the moment. I was leading the goalkicking but it's sort of dropped off," he said
02 July 2004 Herald Sun
Jon Pierik
WHILE most of his Kangaroo teammates opted to relax around home during their mid-season sabbatical, Daniel Motlop had other ideas.
Given six days off by the Roos, Motlop and partner Jade returned to Darwin to baptise their seven-month-old son, Jesse. The warm weather was also an incentive, as was the chance to enjoy one of his favourite escapes, fishing.
"I haven't been back to Darwin for a while, it was good to get back there," Motlop said this week. "It's been hard to get back home."
In keeping with the loyal community he has forged here, Motlop journeyed home with his cousin, close mate and counterpart at Melbourne, Aaron Davey, and Adele Touey, the girlfriend of teammate Daniel Harris.
Davey gladly accepted the invitation to be Jesse's godfather and Adele, a close friend of Jade, is godmother.
Motlop, 22, said he is delighted to have Davey as godfather.
About 40 attended the christening and the day was treated as a great celebration.
The chance to nab some Barramundi, warm bones that otherwise would be feeling the winter chill and ward off early signs of homesickness was also welcomed.
Motlop said he is coping far better in Melbourne now but "every now and again I want to go home". Indeed, it was only last October when he sought to be traded after only two seasons with the Roos.
A major reason was that he was homesick and wanted to be with family in Adelaide.
Jade, then pregnant, also wanted to be with relatives in South Australia while he knew his older brother, Shannon, would be delisted by the club.
"It's a better lifestyle over there, but I'm happy to be back here," he said.
Like all youngsters who lob in a new city, Motlop knows how hard it is to make friends.
But through the likes of Davey, teammates Harris, Daniel Wells, Ed Sansbury and Essendon's Dean Rioli, he has formed strong bonds.
"You can't do the same things you can do up in Darwin," he said recently.
"Up there, you sit around and relax and don't worry about everything.
"You just go out fishing whenever you want.
"Here you have to drive out a fair way to do all those sort of things.
"But the Kangaroos are a good club and hopefully I'll stay with them my whole career."
A clever half-forward, Motlop has played every game this season without dominating in the manner he would like.
He does have 20 goals but would like more, if for no other reason than to get the better of Davey.
The pair, who have been competing against each other since their mid-teens, have a bet on who kicks the most goals this year.
The loser has to buy drinks and dinner when they get back home to Darwin at the end of the year.
Davey leads that battle by three goals.
"It's going all right at the moment. I was leading the goalkicking but it's sort of dropped off," he said
