Children with the Power to impress

WHEN Xavier Clarke visited Manunda Terrace Primary School during his formative St Kilda days, he was none the wiser about putting a fellow Territorian on the path to football’s big stage.

That starry-eyed student was Port Adelaide’s Marlon Motlop who happily returned the favour to a new generation of captivated youngsters from Essington and Parap Primary Schools last week.

“I remember what it was like to have AFL players spend time with us when I was young,” Motlop said.

“It was Xavier Clarke that umpired one of my school games and I tried my best to show-off what I could do.

“It’s pretty easy to picture what these young kids are thinking when I’m here making a visit like this.”

The 19-year-old took the field for the opening game of the Power Primary Schools Challenge at St Johns High School and was a typically influential figure.

But this time it was for an entirely different reasons, as an umpire.

Motlop teamed up with a crop of budding whistleblowers from St Johns, Jarman Xavier, Dion Mingun and Joseph Burke, who have trained as match officials with AFLNT umpires boss Mark Noonan .

More than 40 schools from Darwin, Palmerston and the rural area will go head-to-head in an eight week round-robin tournament.

The Power Primary Schools Challenge will culminate in a large carnival on March 19 at TIO Stadium where all schools will participate in a full-day round robin event.

Source: NT News