Jeff Hopgood mourned

kangas_babe

Team Captain
Jan 21, 2005
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http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20725726%5E19742,00.html


Jeff Hopgood mourned
09 November 2006 Herald-Sun

FORMER North Melbourne player Jeff Hopgood died in a car accident on the Gold Coast yesterday. Hopgood, 58, played 42 games for the Kangaroos from 1968-73.

Cairns, in particular, is mourning the death of the popular sporting identity and businessman.

Hopgood was a former AFL Cairns chairman and a driving force in the creation of the Cairns Taipans basketball club, of which he was the inaugural chairman.

"Men like Jeff Hopgood only come along once or twice in your life," Cairns mayor Kevin Byrne said yesterday.
 
Feb 24, 2006
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Sad to hear. I guess most on here would be too young to remember Jeff playing for the Roos but I can (just!) From what i remember he was a player without too much talent who played his heart out every week for the Roos when we were Really a battling side.

Of course with a surname of HopGood he had To play for the Roos.

R.I.P. If there is a blue and white heaven im sure Hoppy will be there.

I have put in a link to Daryl O'Briens (former Roos player) website which has the only photo i could find of Hoppy.

Note in this pic fellow nostaglia buffs
"Slamming Sam" Kekovich. He was a great player for the Roos anyway but what a player he could have been if he hadnt done his knee(s) early on.
A combination of Carey and Voss. Also the original "TwinkleToes" (Laurie Dwyer).

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mrmob/dobgallery8.html
 
Will be sadly missed in Cairns for sure. Was a very popular figure.

As was said in the article, played a major part in the creation of the Taipans, and also with getting pre-season AFL and test and one day international cricket to Cairns. Obviously had many connections in the sporting world, and used them to get the best possible sports up to this region.

Plus he was an old Rooboy, so he was a great man all round! Showed what could be achieved with hard work, dedication and foresight....traits he would have inherited from his time with North Melbourne.
 
There was a big article in the Gold Coast Bulletin today. He drove head on into a tree at 5am in the morning and his car was a mess. Sounds like a great character and achiever. R.I.P Jeff.

Here is some of the article. Credit to Jeremy Pierce, GC Bulletin.

Jeff (58) was the Cairns 2005 citizen of the year and was regarded locally as a business and sportin visionary. He was the president of AFL Cairns for almost 20 yearsand played a crucial role in the formation of the Cairns Taipans NBL team.

Ron Barrassi and Denis Pagan delivered tributes to Hoppy. Barrass (his former coach) said that "he was such an enterprising and generous person. He was loved by so many people in Cairns, Melbourne and particularly at North Melbourne."

Pagan (former teammate) said that Mr. Hopgood was admired for testing his skills to th limit, both on and off the field. "No-one has done more with his talent in his football, his business and his personal life. He was so tough, so strong and in his later years wiht his own personal health battles and losing his wife Sharynne to cancer, he needed that."

Jeff forged a successful career with a petroleum company, was a passionate crusader about cancer, after it claimed the life of his wife and almost his own. He was well known for talking through his throat piece, a legacy of his own cancer battle.
 

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