CARLTON rookie Jesse Motlop says the club will enter next season full of belief despite a heartbreaking finish to 2022.
Having started the season 8-2 and being well on track to end a near decade-long finals drought, Carlton lost its last four games of the season to finish outside the top eight on percentage.
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Motlop, the No.27 pick in last year's NAB AFL Draft, said the confidence the Blues gained throughout the year will be carried into next year, despite the disappointing end to the season.
"I'm one of the lucky ones, me and a few other boys, we didn't really have to go through the down times," Motlop told Yokayi Footy of Carlton’s recent history.
"Obviously they've had a pretty rough time before this (year) but coming into the club, from day dot the energy was there.
"It started off with hope and I guess now it's turned into belief.
"It was obviously a disappointing end to the season, but we've got that belief there now and we're just going to be building and ready for next year."
Having made his AFL debut in round nine against GWS, Motlop played 12 senior matches in 2022, including the last nine of the season, and kicked multiple goals on three occasions.
The 18-year-old, the son of former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide star Daniel Motlop, said he was pleased with how he adapted to the top level in his debut season, despite struggling initially with the physical demands of senior football.
"The training load got me, definitely," he said. "The first day I remember being the most uncomfortable I'd ever been ... I just needed to get off the ground, and I did probably half the load.
"And I remember my first game, there was no time for rest. I was always struggling.
"But in the end, I've loved every second of it. I've always wanted to play in the AFL growing up. It was imprinted on me since I was born so to live out that dream hopefully for the next few years, I'm loving it."
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