A step ahead of Rioli
AFL professionals say Motlop's performance is now one step ahead of the Hawthorn superstar, Cyril Rioli.
The 2010 Geelong debutant, Steven Motlop, has always been labelled as a level below Hawthorn’s superstar, Cyril Rioli, but now it looks as though Motlop has flipped the tables.
The premiership forward, Cyril, has always executed a powerful performance like no other, since first appearing in 2008. The two players are very similar in physique and speed, however Motlop has never been rated as highly as Cyril, until now.
The eyes of AFL professionals, including past players and coaches, have recently veered from Cyril to Motlop. They believe his performance, during his short career of 36 games, have been just as electrifying and consistent, if not more.
"He's a more rounded player than Cyril, so you could say he's a better player," one opposition coach told News Limited.
"He doesn't tackle like Cyril, but he does the other things better. He's got better endurance and he's a genuine midfielder.
"You can't stop him when he just takes off."
After examining Motlop’s groundwork this season, former Brisbane premiership player, Chris Johnson, is now convinced that his expertise in the midfield is proving to be a touch ahead of Cyril’s.
Johnson describes Motlop as an exciting player who goes in hard every game and never leaves a drop in his tank.
"He's exciting and I think he is very much at the same level to what Cyril was, or maybe a touch ahead.
"If you put it in the context around the midfield then he is certainly ahead of Cyril at the moment. You probably don't want to say that but he's nudging up that way."
Geelong’s senior coach, Chris Scott, really values Steven Motlop as a player and is thrilled with his performance this year. Although, the one thing that he really admires about Motlop, is his persistence and ability to work hard on the track.
“Steven is obviously very very good with the ball in his hands but we value the work that he does off the ball as much as anything,” Scott said on Tweet the Coach.
“He would be one of the hardest players in our team and his GPS numbers are remarkable.”
According to the AFLNT's talent and coaching manager, Wally Gallio, Motlop has performed in this extraordinary way since his hands first made contact with a football.
"I mean, he was even doing this sort of stuff as a two or three-year-old when he could walk and hold a footy in his hand,” Gallio said.
"He'd have that shimmy of the shoulders happening, the turn of the body and then away he went.
"And what you see with Steven today, the flamboyance, the explosiveness, the doing the unnatural and unthinkable at times, is what he was like when he was eight years old.”