Traded 12. Cooper Stephens (2020-2022)

[dazbroncos]

With Pick 16 in the 2019 AFL Draft Geelong Football Club welcomes

Cooper Stevens

Interesting pick I think.

Get around him however.






Go Catters

 

[thecatattack]

IN WELLS WE TRUST

 

[Whit3y]

With Pick 16 in the 2019 AFL Draft Geelong Football Club welcomes

Cooper Stevens

Interesting pick I think.

Get around him however.






Go Catters

Cooper trooper

 

[thecatattack]

After breaking his leg, gun AFL draftee Cooper Stephens hit the gym – and got seriously ripped

After breaking his leg, this gun AFL draftee got seriously ripped

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

tough inside mid but with a recent injury history.

 

[Cats_R_Cool_4_Ever]

Very excited to see what Cooper brings to the Cats!

 

[ShaunWDT]

Bit surprised we didnt take Robertson or Kemp but Stephens is a good player.

 

[The rabbi]

Cooper Stephens (VIC)
Height, Weight: 188cm/83kg
Profile: Strong ball-winning midfielder who distributes effectively by hand and bursts out of stoppages at speed. Has not played since round three due to a fractured fibula.

 

[Paul Watson]

Try to be positive, hope he has an awesome career but fear Wells is trying to make up for not picking Worpel.

 

[The rabbi]

tough inside mid but with a recent injury history.

Sounds familiar.
Like our pick #7 in the 2006 draft.

 

[STPer18]

Good to get a Geelong lad in. All the best to the young man, hopefully he has a big career.

 

[foxdog50]

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HOMEAFL
After breaking his leg, gun AFL draftee Cooper Stephens hit the gym – and got seriously ripped
AFL
Matt Balmer
November 26, 2019 11:28am
MATT BALMER@mattbalmer7
Source: FOX SPORTS
Cooper Stephens also worked closely with Geelong Falcons coaches while sidelined. Picture: Stephen Harman
Cooper Stephens also worked closely with Geelong Falcons coaches while sidelined. Picture: Stephen HarmanSource: News Corp Australia
There is no draft prospect arguably more ready to hit an AFL pre-season at full swing than Victorian Cooper Stephens.
And his gruelling training efforts with Geelong Falcons high performance manager Matt Critchley certainly has kept him on his toes ahead of the national draft later this week.

Stephens had his season ended early after a broken leg in April kept him out of sights of AFL club recruiters on the field, with the inside midfielder likened to Fremantle star Nat Fyfe out on the ground.

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Round 1
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Geelong Falcons prospect Cooper Stephens training with Matt Critchley at Highton Reserve. Picture: Stephen Harman
Geelong Falcons prospect Cooper Stephens training with Matt Critchley at Highton Reserve. Picture: Stephen HarmanSource: News Corp Australia
“The pain was pretty excruciating,” Stephens revealed to foxfooty.com.au at the draft combine.

“It kind of died down and in the hospital room I was kind of optimistic that it might’ve been just a sprain, but when I got my X-ray back and with the Australia game coming up a couple of weeks later and then the championships, that was the main thing I was really disappointed about.”

The 18-year-old praised his recovery program put in place by Critchley, declaring it “awesome” as the midfielder returned to running 10 weeks before his impressive efforts at the draft combine in October.

Stephens blitzed the combine, showing off his impressive endurance capabilities to score a combine-high 21.8 on the Yo-Yo test then run an outstanding time of six minutes and 17 seconds in the 2km time trial.


Cooper Stephens was the Geelong Falcons’ co-captain 2019. Picture: Stephen Harman
Cooper Stephens was the Geelong Falcons’ co-captain 2019. Picture: Stephen HarmanSource: News Corp Australia
Cooper Stephens trained with Matt Critchley. Picture: Stephen Harman
Cooper Stephens trained with Matt Critchley. Picture: Stephen HarmanSource: News Corp Australia
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Despite the injury stopping Stephens from contending for top-10 selection, he remained positive and passionate around his peers, still recognised as a vice-captain by the Vic Country players.

“It was pretty difficult at the start just getting over that initial devastation, things didn’t go to plan. The support crew around me with the high performance and medical were really good,” Stephens said.

“I got over it really quickly and especially with some of the boys at Vic Country with Flynn Perez and Tanner Bruhn, you can’t be too devastated and we grouped up and it was pretty good.

“I was pretty lucky, I kept involved with Vic Country and the academy stuff, I was still lucky enough to... have the headsets and be up in the box and all that sort of stuff.”

Cooper Stephens also worked closely with Geelong Falcons coaches while sidelined. Picture: Stephen Harman
Cooper Stephens also worked closely with Geelong Falcons coaches while sidelined. Picture: Stephen HarmanSource: News Corp Australia
Stephens is among the players pushing to be selected inside the top 20, with Richmond among the clubs considering drafting the tall midfielder

 

[Shai]

Got my wish for a midfield accumulator, may have been a little surprised by the position taken but he was obviously on other clubs radars.

Welcome and all the best, Cooper!

 

[Longy_Zillmere]

Try to be positive, hope he has an awesome career but fear Wells is trying to make up for not picking Worpel.

If you honestly think a recruiter as good as Wells sits around worrying about a guy he didn’t pick the year before, you have no idea how it all works

 

[Jemaine]

I hope to hell this isn't Darcy Lang V2 when Kemp was taken next pick.

 

[Hamingja]

Sounds familiar.
Like our pick #7 in the 2006 draft.

Fingers crossed more Selwood than Darcy Lang

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Sounds familiar.
Like our pick #7 in the 2006 draft.

Or Darcy Lang or Cockatoo.

But I'm sure the oldest example is more relevant than the two more recent ones.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Try to be positive, hope he has an awesome career but fear Wells is trying to make up for not picking Worpel.

In not picking Worpel he was making up for picking Lang though so he was even going in. Was being touted possible top 10 before the broken leg and is cherry ripe now.

Cooper means barrel maker. Hope he gets some opportunity to kick a few barrels early.

Welcome to the cattery Coop!

 

[Spazz Cat]

Seems motivated. That's half the battle I guess.

 

[Hamingja]

Lang was pick#16.

Yes but Lang was from Colac and had a broken leg so also similar

 

[CatTricks]

They spelt Robertson wrong..

 

[Tackle_happy]

Despite the injury stopping Stephens from contending for top-10 selection, he remained positive and passionate around his peers, still recognised as a vice-captain by the Vic Country players.

So a top 10 contender prior to the break?

 

[Gunf]

Really happy with Cooper as i rate him rather high maybe even would of been a top 10 pick without the injuries

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I like the sound of him. Tough, big inside mid with some pace and likened to Fyfe. Who is also good by foot, sounds great to me.

Would have been pushing a top 10 pick had he not been injured. So hope it works for us.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

So I reckon this kid might be ready for footy early. Apparently this is him during his rehab from the injury