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Jacob Hopper

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Jacob Hopper

| image = Jacob Hopper 050425 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Hopper with Richmond in April 2025

| fullname = Jacob Hopper

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|02|06|df=y}}

| birth_place = Leeton, New South Wales

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = North Ballarat Rebels (TAC Cup)/Leeton-Whitton (RFNL)

| draftpick = No. 7, 2015 national draft

| height = 187 cm

| weight = 88 kg

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = {{AFL Ric}}

| guernsey = 2

| years1 = 2016–2022

| club1 = {{AFL GWS}}

| games_goals1 = 114 (42)

| years2 = 2023–

| club2 = {{AFL Ric}}

| games_goals2 = {{0}}41 (12)

| games_goalstotal = 155 (54)

| statsend = round 13, 2025 season

| careerhighlights =

}}

Jacob Hopper (born 6 February 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for {{AFL GWS}}.

Early life

Hopper was born in New South Wales{{cite web|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6069124/jacob-not-hoppering-off-giants-ship-and-helps-ward-off-void/|title=GWS Giants re-sign Jacob Hopper ahead of Fremantle Dockers clash|publisher=Canberra Times|first=David|last=Polkinghorne|date=17 April 2019|access-date=4 June 2019}} and grew up in the small Riverina town of Leeton.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/afl/teams/gws/gws-rising-star-jacob-hopper-out-of-the-wilderness-and-into-the-afl-spotlight/news-story/838880157f701920cfdfa507e9d3c84c|title=GWS Rising Star Jacob Hopper out of the wilderness and into the AFL spotlight|publisher=Daily Telegraph|first=Neil|last=Cordy|date=20 May 2016|access-date=30 November 2018}} He began playing football at the age of four with the Leeton-Whitton Crows where his father coached. He joined Greater Western Sydney's academy program at the age of 13{{cite web|url=https://ladieswho.com.au/leap/2016/05/17/celebrating-jacob-hopper-s-debut/|title=Celebrating Jacob Hopper's debut|publisher=Ladies Who Leap|first=Mary|last=Jones|date=17 May 2016|access-date=30 November 2018}} and regularly gained selection for NSW representative teams in the years that followed. He attended school at St Francis de Sales Regional College.{{Cite web|url=https://aflnswact.com.au/all-australian-honours-for-u15-schoolboys/|title = All Australian honours for U15 schoolboys|date = August 2012}} At the age of 17, he began boarding at St Patrick's College, Ballarat{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/young-giant-jacob-hopper-a-youngster-in-eye-of-riverina-storm/news-story/29d0ea76eeb5c57203c175a3f026ec0a|title=Young Giant Jacob Hopper a youngster in eye of Riverina storm|publisher=News.com.au|first=Courtney|last=Walsh|date=7 May 2016|access-date=16 February 2019}} while playing TAC Cup football for the North Ballarat Rebels.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/3913037/dominant-hopper-earns-afl-rising-star-award/|title=Former Rebel Jacob Hopper earns AFL Rising Star award|publisher=The Ballarat Courier|first=Brendan|last=Wrigley|date=17 May 2016|access-date=11 March 2018}}

He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 national draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/jacob-hopper-perfect-example-of-gws-giants-academy-graduate-who-now-plays-afl-20160906-gr9qs4.html|title=Jacob Hopper perfect example of GWS Giants academy graduate who now plays AFL|publisher=The Age|first=James|last=Buckley|date=6 September 2016|access-date=4 August 2017}}

AFL career

Hopper made his debut in round 8 of the 2016 AFL season, in a 91-point win against {{AFL GC}} at Spotless Stadium. He was rewarded with a nomination for the 2016 AFL Rising Star,{{cite web|url=http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2016-05-16/a-debut-to-remember|title=A Debut to Remember|publisher=Greater Western Sydney Football Club Official Website|first=Alison|last=Zell|date=16 May 2016|access-date=16 May 2016}} after he collected 32 disposals equaling the AFL record (since 1992) for most disposals made on debut (Brisbane Lion Bradd Dalziell's 32 in 2008 the previous highest). and nine clearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2016-05-14/giants-stand-tall-over-suns|title=GIANTS Stand Tall Over Suns|publisher=Greater Western Sydney Football Club Official Website|first=Adrian|last=Warren|work=AAP|date=14 May 2016|access-date=15 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2016-05-14/hopper-hype-and-mohrs-return|title=Hopper Hype and Mohr's Return|publisher=Greater Western Sydney Football Club Official Website|first=Adam|last=Curley|work=AFL Media|date=14 May 2016|access-date=15 May 2016}}

At the conclusion of the 2022 AFL season, Hopper requested a trade to {{AFL Ric}}.{{cite web|title=Giant plus for Tigers as mid chooses Punt Rd as new home|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/838679|first=Callum|last=Twomey|date=8 September 2022|accessdate=12 September 2022|work=AFL Media}} He was traded on 11 October.{{Cite tweet |user=AFL_House|number=1579705841166319616|date=11 October 2022|title=Trade paperwork lodged.}}

Statistics

:Statistics are correct to the end of Round 23 2022{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jacob_Hopper.html|title=Jacob Hopper|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=30 April 2017}}

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}

|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 10 || 5 || 3 || 65 || 107 || 172 || 32 || 33 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 6.5 || 10.7 || 17.2 || 3.2 || 3.3 || 0

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 13 || 4 || 4 || 89 || 133 || 222 || 35 || 73 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 6.9 || 10.2 || 17.1 || 2.7 || 5.6 || 0

|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2018

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 21 || 10 || 14 || 214 || 227 || 441 || 55 || 98 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 10.2 || 10.8 || 21.0 || 2.6 || 4.7 || 0

|-

! scope=row style="text-align:center" | 2019

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 23 || 10 || 11 || 303 || 296 || 599 || 73 || 95 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 13.2 || 12.9 || 26.0 || 3.2 || 4.1 || 1

|- style=background:#EAEAEA

! scope=row style="text-align:center" | 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}}

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 17 || 1 || 7 || 159 || 168 || 327 || 40 || 71 || 0.1 || 0.4 || 9.4 || 9.9 || 19.2 || 2.4 || 4.2 || 4

|-

! scope=row style="text-align:center" | 2021

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 23 || 10 || 7 || 311 || 296 || 607 || 72 || 88 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 13.5 || 12.9 || 26.4 || 3.1 || 3.8 || 15

|-

|-style="background-color: #EAEAEA"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022

| {{AFL GWS}} || 2 || 7 || 2 || 1 || 57 || 78 || 135 || 20 || 21 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 8.1 || 11.1 || 19.2 || 2.8 || 3.0 || 0

|-

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan=3 | Career

! 114 !! 42 !! 47 !! 1198 !! 1305 !! 2503 !! 327 !! 479 !! 0.3 !! 0.4 !! 10.5 !! 11.4 !! 21.9 !! 2.8 !! 4.2 !! 20

|}

Notes

{{notelist}}

Honours and achievements

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

  • {{Richplayer}}
  • {{AFL Tables}}
  • {{AustralianFootball}}

{{Richmond player squad}}

{{2016 AFL Rising Star nominees}}

{{Brett Kirk Medal}}

{{2015 AFL national draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopper, Jacob}}

Category:1997 births

Category:Living people

Category:Greater Western Sydney Giants players

Category:Greater Western Victoria Rebels players

Category:People educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat

Category:People from Leeton, New South Wales

Category:Richmond Football Club players

Category:Australian rules footballers from New South Wales

{{AFL-bio-1990s-stub}}