Retired #26: Cale Hooker - Has announced his retirement at season's end šŸ·

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Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a
 
Last edited:
I heard the weather is really good in Perth.
 

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Red and Black Preview, #26, Cale Hooker

Clunk

Cale Hooker

Age: 24

Height: 196cms

Weight: 97kgs

Games: 88

Position: Centre Half Back

Fantasy Relevance: Draft Leagues Only

Look Out For: Intercept Marking, 3rd man up spoiling, Awkward running gait

In the space of 12 months Cale Hooker has gone from trade bait to one of Essendonā€™s most important players.

He was almost shipped back home at the end of last year, but the Western Australian has quickly become a dominant force in the Essendon back line, regularly sifting off his opponents and intercepting incoming forward entries.

Heā€™ll probably always be remembered as the man who couldnā€™t keep up with Lance Franklin, but the reality is heā€™s quickly become an extremely reliable, if not ungainly key defender.

What to expect in 2014: Hooker will again patrol the Essendon back line in 2014, most likely taking the oppositionā€™s 2nd or 3rd best forward. Look for him to try to sweep around the half back line, coming off his opponent to mark or spoil opposition kicks and then distribute to other Bomber defenders.

Look for him to partner with Michael Hurley and Dustin Fletcher to form the key defensive group, with Hurley mostly taking the deeper forward, Hooker taking the higher, leading forward and Fletcher taking a medium or smaller attacking player.
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got a lot of man love for Hooksy.

Mainly because his kicking style is very similar to my own
 
Knight Ryders said:
Bump, not enough love.

26 disposals, 16 marks and absolutely pantsed Petrie who had 3 disposals and only 2 marks.
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And 8 or 9 were intercepts by my count
 
Another steal from late in the draft. Better sack that Dodo guy, he's shithouse.
 
Great game for him. I still worry when he has the ball in hands. He picked the right option every time last night. Took the safe kick down the line when it was there + went long down the line when it wasn't. He played perfectly within himself. His intercept marks were really important to us. I can't think of a better game he has played for us.

Keeping Petrie to only three touches is amazing. Well done Hooks!
 

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Hooker is a damn good player these days. I had him 4th on the ground just behind Watson, Chapman and Goddard. Just absolutely dominated Petrie and won a ton of ball himself. His ball use is actually really reliable these days, he's not a line breaker but he rarely turns it over nowadays. A few years ago that was one of his major issues but his decision making has just vastly improved.

I think nearly half the weeks he will actually end up taking the best forward depending on if its a taller marking type or if its a quicker leading type. Eg vs Hawthorn I would think he would take Roughead and Hurley would take Gunston or at least that seems logical to me anyway.
 
You'd be giving him votes if he was the loose man in defence. To perform that well while keeping the best forward on the opposition to 3 possessions is incredible.
 
Ben the Gooner said:
You'd be giving him votes if he was the loose man in defence. To perform that well while keeping the best forward on the opposition to 3 possessions is incredible.
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Spot On.. and I rate Petrie really highly.. Hooker obliterated him from the game and controlled D50.

Best game for the club.
 
yaco55 said:
Most pleasing was Petrie pulled down Hooker's pant last time. He's very clean below his knees for a tall player.
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Exactly right...started to notice this last year and it's now a pronounced strength. Almost never fumbles, even in traffic, and usually then releases really well by hand...when did this happen???

Extraordinarily improved footballer.
 
BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!! said:
Fletch has taught him well.
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How good would it be to play in defence with with Fletch?

In basketball they talk about guys who are great one on one defenders and guys who are great team defenders. The guys in the latter category, play all the angles, leave their man to help out team mates, get a hand in to knock balls loose, rotate over to block shots etc...Fletch might have struggled one on one at times in his acreer but he would be hands down the best team defender I have seen in 30+ years of watching footy.

Would make playing in defence exponentially easier for guys like Hooker.
 
Cale is so vital to our team. Yet, I suspect, still under-appreciated by some. The sort of guy who, on the rare occasion he has a bad game, the knives will be sharpened for quickly by some.

Luckily, the coaching box is not among that some.
 
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