LATE IN 2005 Daniel Motlop arrived on the doorstep atAlberton 10kg overweight and unable to train as he recovered from hamstringsurgery.
Motlop had sought a trade to Port Adelaide from the Kangarooswhere he managed just 47 games in five years and felt overwhelmingly homesickafter brother, Shannon, was delisted.
The former first-round draft pick's potential wasundeniable, but his ability to stay fit and perform on a consistent basis wasyet to be seen.
Power coach Mark Williams, buoyed by the success of hisindigenous players in the 2004 premiership, saw Motlop as a rare talent andtook a chance on the then-22-year-old.
"The coaches showed a lot of faith in getting me overhere to Port," Motlop said.
"Choco [Mark Williams] stuck by me and knew what wasgoing on in my life, so he's been real good to me. It's probably been the moveof my life coming back to Adelaideand I call this place home now."
The self-confessed "late developer" made an unconvincingstart in the first season with his new club.
Motlop struggled with his limited pre-season and after threegoalless weeks with the Power was sent back for a stint with SANFL club North Adelaide.
The clever forward fought his way back into the Port Adelaideline-up, but almost wished he hadn't after his infamous sprayed shot on goalagainst St Kilda in Launceston.
Motlop took a strong mark and had a chance to claim victoryand keep his side's slim finals hopes alive with a kick after the siren.
"I wasn't really that confident going into the St Kildagame and it showed," Motlop recalled.
"I struggled with that [behind] for a while because Ididn't play again after that. I had a shoulder reconstruction the next week, soit was the last thing I did for the season and I had to think about if a fairbit."
The Port Adelaide livewire carried the burden of that singlekick for 10 months until he exorcised his demons with the match-winning goalagainst Melbournein round six of this year.
"That goal against Melbourne sort of settled things down a bit,"he said.
"But it's still hard to watch [the kick against StKilda] because you start thinking what could have been."
With the emotional weight of that day in Tasmania lifted and a slight change to hisgoal kicking routine, Motlop starred for the Power in 2007 with his best seasonso far.
The former Kangaroo almost doubled his career goal tally bybooting 44 this season despite missing six games through injury.
Motlop's form has been so impressive teammate Chad Corneshas labelled him the "barometer" of Port Adelaide.
"Motts' performances in big games over the past twoweeks have been awesome. He's really the barometer of the side for me,"Cornes said.
"When he's doing all that chasing and tackling in theforward line it really gets the boys going. Those things are more importantthan taking big marks and kicking spectacular goals, which he does too."
Motlop, now 25, played his first ever final when the Powertook on West Coast three weeks ago and on Saturday will line-up in the AFLgrand final.
The enigmatic forward held the mantle as one of the league'smost accurate and, also most freakish, goalkickers earlier this season, butMotlop wasn't sure he'd like the pressure of a shot on goal after the sirenthis week.
"Yeah, maybe. I don't want it, but if I get it [theshot on goal] I'll take it," Motlop laughed.
