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Connor Scanlon • May 14th, 2025 6:57 pm
Carlton's Jesse Motlop has been unfairly criticised in recent times, according to his uncle.
North Melbourne premiership player Shannon Motlop has leapt to the defence of his nephew Jesse who has at times has been the whipping boy for impatient Blues fans.
With the long-lasting criticism starting last year, Motlop argued that his nephew attracted unfair scrutiny after returning from injury in the second half of last season.
“Last year was a very interrupted season for him,” Motlop told SEN.com.au.
“His absence in playing and finding it hard to find form on the back end of the season probably brought him some criticism.
“Which for a kid that was 20 years old, I thought it was a bit harsh.
“And then this season it's put more pressure on him to play well.”
Motlop, who played 54 games for the Roos and 10 for Melbourne, added that too much blame is being directed towards Jesse, despite Carlton’s broader issues.
“I think the troubles that Carlton are having, it's amazing that you go to a small forward and say, ‘Hey, he's not playing well, that's why we're losing,” Motlop added.
“There's bigger players there that need to perform and they need to worry about.
“I don't think a small forward should be on the end of that. Especially a young, small forward.”
Motlop also criticised the attention supporters are giving his nephew on social media.
“I've seen the social media and stuff,” he said.
“I just don’t know what the focus is on him. But supporters will be supporters.”
Despite all the recent scrutiny that 21-year-old 49-gamer Motlop has received, his uncle firmly believes he has shown positive glimpses in 2025.
“This season he’s had some good games,” he said further.
“(He’s) had a couple of average games, but he's still a young kid.
“It's not always easy for a small forward.”
Despite the noise, Shannon is confident that his nephew is staying focused on footy, ignoring the criticism and putting his best foot forward.
“I think what goes on in the inner sanctum is what really matters,” he added.
“That's probably all Jesse would be focusing on. He wouldn't see a lot of the media stuff. I think he's doing alright.
“I'm not too fussed with the way he's going myself. Who knows? He could (soon) be on a roll.”
Shannon also had a loud and clear message for Carlton fans who have been upset with Jesse.
“He is young and he has got a lot of development ahead of him,” he said.
“Just like any young kid, he's developing and some develop earlier, some develop later.
“But at the same time, he is still playing some good footy.
“He’s had some really good moments and if you look back to his first season he was very impressive.
“He can produce that again.”
Motlop also highlighted another rising footballer in the family, his nephew Waylon Davey, who is one to watch ahead of this year’s draft.
“He’s a super talent,” Motlop said.
“He missed out on the draft last year, he's got a lot of work to do.
“He's in South Australia at the moment training with Glenelg.
“It's a pretty strict training regime there. They try to fit in an AFL program into full-time people with full-time jobs into an afternoon.
“He's a super talent, but physically needs to do a bit of work to get up to AFL standard.”
As both of Shannon Motlop’s nephews continue their football journey, he made it clear that with time and patience, Jesse and Waylon could both make strong impacts at the top level.
