Steven Motlop leaves Wanderers for PINT in 2023-24 NTFL season

Former AFL player Steven Motlop has settled on which club he will play for in the 2023-24 NTFL season. Check out which players are making moves.

Former Port Adelaide and Geelong goal kicker Steven Motlop has locked in a move away from his family club for the 2023-24 NTFL season.

Motlop returned to the NTFL last season after announcing his retirement from the AFL in a professional career which included 229 goals from 217 games.

After much speculation between going back to Wanderers and joining his brother who coaches the league’s newest side PINT, the 32-year-old chose to return to his family club in his first year.

But with a year under his belt, where he consistently showed his skills and athleticism, Motlop has decided to join his brother at the Greenants, as they look to make finals in just their second year.

Steven Motlop starred for Wanderers in the 2022-23 NTFL season. Picture: Tymunna Clements / AFLNT Media

PINT coach Shannon Motlop, who played AFL himself for both North Melbourne and Melbourne, said having his brother at the club would bring a true finisher, something his side lacked previously.

“He’s going to be important, just his leadership alone would be great for us and something we really need,” Motlop said about his brother.

“His finishing and his ability to win a game off his own boot is going to be massive for us, he’s the type of player we don’t have enough of.

“He’s getting a little bit older, but he’s got the leg speed and the agility to avoid the opposition tacklers and get the goals.

“It’s been going on for a long time, I’ve never really had a lot of discussion with him about it, he wanted to come last year, but I think he found it hard to leave Wanderers.

“It was good he went there for his first year back, he had been waiting to do that for a long time and now he’s ready to come and join me.”

The former AFL star won’t be the only major addition the Greenants add to their forward line for the upcoming season with Liam Holt-Fitz also making the jump over from the Darwin Buffaloes.

Holt-Fitz has been one of the league’s most exciting forwards in recent years winning the Chaney Medal best on ground in Nightcliff’s 2018-19 flag victory.

Liam Holt-Fitz will also be making the jump from Darwin Buffaloes to PINT. Picture: Celina Whan / AFLNT Media

He joined the Buffaloes for the 2022-23 after a successful run at the Tigers, and now has his sights on more success at PINTs.

“Liam Holt-Fitz from Buffaloes is another good finisher who we have coming across,” Motlop said.

“That’s sort of what we’re aiming for this time around, we need some good players down forward after we kicked ourselves out of a lot of games last year, so we’ve really added in that area.”

It comes after the Tiwi Bombers announced former Essendon Bombers star Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti would be joining them for season 2023-24.

Originally published as Steven Motlop leaves Wanderers for PINT in 2023-24 NTFL season