THE CONTRAST between Darwin and Geelong is stark in just about every aspect.

Weather, geography, culture and the general population are about as polar opposite as two places could get, and Steven Motlop admits he had trouble adjusting after he was drafted to the Cats in 2008.

While the journey from the Top End to Victoria to achieve a footballing dream had already been made by his older brothers Shannon and Daniel when they were drafted at different times to North Melbourne, it was a new teammate who made Motlop feel the most welcome.

Fellow Northern Territorian Nathan Djerrkura became more than just a mentor to Motlop - he took it upon himself to take him in as a housemate after the recruit struggled with shoulder injuries in his first few months with the Cats.

It was a gesture that was greatly appreciated by the talented young player, who this week earned the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his 28-possession game against Melbourne.

"When I first got here I did my shoulders and was a little homesick. He was kind enough to let me move in with him," Motlop said.

"I lived with him for the first 12 months I was here and that helped me heaps to move in with someone I knew. He showed me around and 'Stokesy' (Mathew Stokes) and Travis Varcoe showed me around as well."

Motlop's shoulder problems dogged him for the first couple of years in the AFL system and even ruined his debut match.

In his second season with the Cats, Motlop was named to make his debut in the Grand Final rematch against Hawthorn, only to go down after receiving some friendly fire from a physically superior teammate.

"I went up for a mark and Tom Hawkins put his big knee right in the perfect spot on my shoulder and it came out in a marking contest," Motlop said.

"We still have a little joke about it."

Motlop can laugh now but the frustrating shoulder problems restricted him to just five senior games in his first three years. But that lack of continuity looks to be a thing of the past, as he has played all six of Geelong's game so far in 2012.

He admits there were times he thought that even at full fitness, it would be close to impossible to break into the best AFL team of the past six years.

Motlop said it was just a matter of persistence.

"I had a pretty big pre-season and they were a pretty powerful side. I thought it would take a while, I knew my body wasn't as strong as everyone else's and I knew it would take a bit of time," he said.

"I was prepared to put in the hard work and hopefully my body can hold up now."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs