Five things we learnt from SANFL Round 17: Marlon Motlop’s powerful racism stance
Glenelg premiership star Marlon Motlop made a powerful stance against racism before the Bays’ big win over Central on Saturday. FIVE THINGS WE LEARNT FROM ROUND 17
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GLENELG’S Marlon Motlop hopes the SANFL’s powerful Round 17 stance against racism will be a major step forward in sparking “serious change’’ while also “wrapping our arms’’ around vilified Rooster Robbie Young.
Motlop – a former Port Adelaide AFL player – was the instigator behind the league’s players, coaches and umpires taking a public, united stand against racism on the weekend after former Adelaide captain Taylor Walker racially vilified Young in a SANFL game on July 17.
Players from all 10 SANFL clubs joined arms in a circle in a show of solidarity in the middle of the ground – “in the heart of the football arena,’’ as Motlop referred to it – prior to all five matches played over the weekend.
Motlop spoke to the Glenelg and Central District players at the Bay Oval and praised the league and its clubs for rallying behind the issue.
“First and foremost the idea for the united stance was to show support and wrap our arms around Robbie Young, letting him know that we’re thinking about him, and the Adelaide Crows players and indigenous officials at the club who were in among it all,’’ Motlop told The Advertiser after kicking 4.4 in unbeaten Glenelg’s convincing 54-point win.
“I felt there was a lot of noise around the issue and that among it all the victim’s voice got a little bit lost.
“Secondly it was about finding a better way to handle a racial vilification situation in our competition so that we don’t have a repeat of a first nation’s footballer in our competition going in with a lack of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander guidance and leadership in a situation like this.
“If we are going to be able to move forward, we can’t get serious change unless we start with serious connection and serious truth telling and story telling.
“This is about the ongoing healing of Aboriginal and Torres Islander Australia and if we can join arms and stand together as a competition it’s a great start to working towards change.’’
Motlop, who played five AFL games for the Power in 2008-09, said he had been racially vilified by spectators when he was a teenager playing for North Adelaide.
Now 31 and a premiership player for Glenelg in 2019, he said he was now “older and wiser to know how to work my way through situations like that’’ but wanted to put an end to all racism.
“I’m one of the lucky ones in that I haven’t had to deal with too much but when something like this happens to Robbie it needs to spark conversations in your locker room or when people are having a few beers about what the narrative is,’’ he said.
“It’s about understanding the core of what we’ve been fighting for for so long, which is social equity among the community, and if we can get more organisations, more football, netball, softball and other clubs to have those conversations and really investing into the story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia then that is the way forward.
“At its core, this is about the ongoing healing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia, and the role you play in shifting your own beliefs, values and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to help eradicate racism in society.”
ROOSTERS’ SURGE MENTALITY
NORTH Adelaide has rivals looking over their shoulder, especially after the manner in which it conquered South Adelaide by 58 points at Noarlunga on Saturday to claim a sixth successive win.
The surge into serious title contention comes on the back of changes introduced after the grand final loss to Woodville-West Torrens last year, according to coach Jacon Surjan.
“We feel those changes are helping us now,” Surjan said of his plan to inject more speed into his side and move the ball faster.
“It has taken time, when you change the game plan the players have got to learn new things.
“I’m really pleased the players are able to execute what we started in the summer.”
Surjan also admits his coaching has had some tweaks.
“Since we have gone on this little run we have just tried to focus on what we are trying to do,” he said.
“As a coach, I learnt that when we were losing. I was focusing too much on the opposition and what they are really good at, how to stop them.
“Now it is about controlling what we can control.”
SOUTH’S ROSE-COLOURED GLASSES
THERE weren’t too many positives to emerge for South Adelaide at Noarlunga on Saturday.
The Panthers caved in meekly to North Adelaide and coach Jarrad Wright was on the money when he said the side had not played that poorly for a long time.
But there was some good news from the day, with captain Matt Rose returning from a long-term injury in the reserves and collecting a game-high 29 possessions in a highly encouraging display.
After having shoulder surgery, Rose was on target to return to action two weeks back. However, that was delayed until Saturday after he hurt his arm in his first contact training session.
“He had that little setback and it was great to see him run out the game,” Wright said. “He pulled up fine and will be back next week.”
Rose will front Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday.
PUOPOLO A CHANCE FOR FINALS
NORWOOD’S entertainment machine Paul Puopolo might just win his race to be cleared for the opening round of finals, if the Redlegs qualify.
The high-flyer damaged his medial ligament in the frustrating loss to Glenelg last week and will wear a brace for up to three weeks. He will then face another couple of weeks regaining condition.
The elimination and qualifying finals are four weeks away.
The Redlegs are fifth on the ladder after beating West Adelaide at The Parade on Friday night. With two rounds remaining, they are a game above Sturt, but just a game behind third.
Not that Norwood coach Jade Rawlings is thinking any further than North Adelaide following this week’s bye.
“If you get consumed at the permutations it is wasted stress,” he said.
Meanwhile, West Adelaide coach Brad Gotch has hinted at injecting some youth into the side to face Glenelg following this week’s bye and promising teenage forward Harry Lemmey is set to play his second league game.
Lemmey, 17, made his league debut against Port Adelaide in round 15, a week after playing his first reserves game, and picked up 10 disposals, taking seven marks and kicking a goal.
“There are still two games to go and a chance to improve and show the supporters we are fair dinkum about what we are doing,” Gotch said after the loss to Norwood at The Parade on Friday night.
“We might look at bringing in a couple of young guys and Lemmey might be available if he has finished school footy.”
Gotch was satisfied with the response from his players after the shocking effort against Sturt when the Bloods scored just six behinds.
“It was a tough week,” he confessed. “It was definitely one of the hardest weeks I’ve had.”
FORWARD THINKING FOR PORT’S GARNER
PORT Adelaide defender Joel Garner might have found another avenue to force himself into the Power’s plans.
Garner, who has been one of the Magpies’ best down back this year, was shifted to the forward line on Saturday with the game slipping away against Sturt at Unley Oval.
As the Double Blues skipped out to a 51-point buffer midway through the second term, coach Matthew Lokan needed some spark up forward.
However, it wasn’t a move without precedent, with Garner doing the same thing late against Adelaide last week, kicking two goals in a 13-point loss.
Garner has also impressed with aerial ability this year, pulling down a number of high marks and generally using the ball with enviable precision.
The move against Sturt paid dividends, with Garner slotting three goals through strong marks either side of half-time, skilfully picking out others in attack and generally showing the customary poise he is renowned for.
“That was one of the positives out of today,” Lokan said after the 24-point loss which effectively ended the Pies’ slim finals prospects.
“Joel’s been really consistent for us in the backline, we were probably a bit undersized in the front half. I thought he was really good.
“We tried to freshen him up and throw him forward and see if he could provide something for us and I thought he did.”
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