Marlon Motlop facts for kids

Marlon Motlop was born on April 17, 1990. He is an Indigenous Australian who used to play Australian rules football. He is also a talented musician, known by his stage name Marlon.

Marlon played for the Port Adelaide Football Club from 2008 to 2011. This was in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top professional football league in Australia. After his time in the AFL, Marlon played for different state-level clubs. A big highlight was winning a championship with the Glenelg Football Club in 2019.

Since 2020, Marlon has been building his career as a musician. He performs as "Marlon" and also as part of a music duo called Mrln x Rkm. They even performed at the famous WOMADelaide festival. Marlon also helps with his cousin Daniel Motlop's business, which sells native Australian foods.

Marlon's Early Life and Family Roots

Marlon Motlop has a rich Aboriginal Australian background. His father is from the Larrakia people, and his mother is from the Kungarakany people. He also has Torres Strait Islander heritage from Thursday Island.

His father encouraged him to learn to play the guitar when he was young. At the same time, Marlon was also developing his skills in football. He used to write songs with his cousins, Daniel, Shannon, and Steven. All of them later became professional AFL footballers too!

Marlon's Football Journey

Marlon started his football journey at the Wanderers Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL). He first caught the eye of AFL talent scouts in 2006. This was when he won the Allan McLean best-and-fairest medal. He earned this award at the AFL Under-16 Division Two Championships.

Port Adelaide chose Marlon in the 2007 AFL Draft. He was their second pick, and the 28th player chosen overall.

Playing in the AFL

Marlon played his first AFL game against the Melbourne Football Club in 2008. He helped his team win by a large margin. The next week, he kicked his first AFL goal and played very well against North Melbourne.

He returned to play in 2009. He kicked a goal and had a good game against the Fremantle Dockers. His last AFL match was against the Western Bulldogs. When he wasn't playing in the AFL, Marlon played for West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

State League Success

Port Adelaide decided not to keep Marlon after the 2011 AFL season. He then moved to the West Australian Football League (WAFL). In 2012, he joined Swan Districts and won their best and fairest award. The next year, 2013, Marlon moved to Peel Thunder and also won their best and fairest award.

After two years in the WAFL, Marlon returned to the SANFL. He played for North Adelaide for many games. He even represented South Australia in 2015. During his time at North Adelaide, he won their Club Champion award in 2015. In 2018, Marlon joined Glenelg, where he played until the end of the 2021 season.

Marlon's Music Career

While playing his last year of football in the SANFL, Marlon began to focus on his music. He formed a band with his teammate, Rulla Kelly-Mansell. Their duo, known as Mrln x Rkm, performed at the WOMADelaide festival in March 2021. They opened for famous bands like Midnight Oil and Vika and Linda. Their performance received great reviews, including one in Rolling Stone Australia.

The duo released their first song, "Black Swan," in June 2021. They also perform under the name Marlon x Rulla. Marlon has also performed at the Bass In the Grass Festival. He even played at the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls Round in front of over 30,000 fans. In 2021, Marlon released three songs. He also worked with Urthboy on a song called "Balmy Christmas Eve."

Marlon is also featured on the 3% song "Blak Australia Policy" from their album, Kill the Dead.

Marlon's Singles

Marlon's Bush Food Business

Marlon is also involved in a business that sells native Australian foods. This business, called Something Wild, is run by his cousin Daniel Motlop. It is located in the Barossa Valley.