The Bulldogs have tried to establish a home away from Victoria by playing one game in the Northern Territory each season.
However, Motlop said Port Adelaide - through its strong indigenous heritage - was more popular among the locals than the sons of the west.
“The Power have a pretty good supporter base up there in Darwin. In fact the Power and Essendon are the two main clubs up there,” Motlop said on Wednesday.
“You can put a club in there and try and force it, but in the end we’ve probably got more supporters up there than them [the Western Bulldogs].”
Motlop, who hails from the Wanderers Football Club, has overcome an ankle injury and will line up alongside cousin Marlon against the Western Bulldogs this week.
The pair has been asked for more than 60 tickets to the game.
The older Motlop was hopeful the Power’s Territory roots would help get them over the line on Saturday night.
“We’ve got Marlon and myself, Peter Burgoyne and Tommy Logan all from up there, so hopefully we’ve got a little bit of an edge and that one per cent might help us in the long run.”
Port Adelaide has also been trying to gain an edge by training regularly in humidity chambers.
Motlop, despite growing up in the sticky conditions, hasn’t been excluded from the sessions. He said the 30-degree-heat and 100 per cent humidity could be a factor in the outcome of Saturday night’s game.
“I spoke to my parents and they say it’s freezing up there but our boys are going to go up there and think it’s pretty hot,” Motlop said.
“It [TIO Stadium] is a fast track to run on, but the ball is pretty slippery and skids forward a lot. The Bulldogs have played a lot of games up there and they might be a bit better in the conditions for the first five minutes, but we’ll see what happens.”
Full-back Alipate Carlile missed Wednesday’s training session with a head cold, but is expected to play.
The Power will fly to Darwin on Friday morning and train at TIO Stadium in the evening, ahead of Saturday night’s clash.
