Player Watch #2 Jacob Hopper

[mctiger33]

Just keep front loading that contract and hopefully off the list a year early in 2028. No club would touch him in a trade.

 

[partycorolla]

Has to be dropped. Just has to be.

But he went at over 50% DE... what more do you want from one of our 3 highest paid players (probably)?

Was solid last year but abysmal this year. Statement time for Yze.

 

[Tiger_man322]

Will go down as the worst trade in our history.

 

[RJK Tiger]

Will go down as the worst trade in our history.

Its not just the trade - its the 7 ****ing 7 year contract they gave him that is really going to hurt

 

[Vassp]

"highly rated in our four walls"

if thats the case, I better make a call to SEN.

 

[DustinsGuns]

Right now you would have to attach a pick to him to trade him like they do on the NBA.

He has lost a yard of pace, and didn't have a pace to lose. Game has gone by him and we still have him listed for three years after this.

 

[partycorolla]

Its not just the trade - its the 7 ****ing 7 year contract they gave him that is really going to hurt

Won't be an issue if we pay it out. Is it 3 years after this?

 

[partycorolla]

Right now you would have to attach a pick to him to trade him like they do on the NBA.

He has lost a yard of pace, and didn't have a pace to lose. Game has gone by him and we still have him listed for three years after this.

Can be VFL vice-captain behind Streety.

 

[RJK Tiger]

Won't be an issue if we pay it out. Is it 3 years after this?

It still has to sit in your cap though for the 3 years if you pay it out

 

[tiger_tough]

Feel sorry for him. The game has passed him by in an instant.

 

[RJK Tiger]

Its wild to think the club thought this guy was going to be the missing link to our next flag. Extremely hard to watch the club completely **** itself up. I was calling the smoke out for a very long time and got a hell of a lot of abuse and suspensions here for my efforts - but all of this, has been very predictable. Where we are right now is exactly where i feared we would be post the 2022 off-season.

 

[partycorolla]

It still has to sit in your cap though for the 3 years if you pay it out

Surely we can front end it if we want?

 

[partycorolla]

Its wild to think the club thought this guy was going to be the missing link to our next flag. Extremely hard to watch the club completely **** itself up. I was calling the smoke out for a very long time and got a hell of a lot of abuse and suspensions here for my efforts - but all of this, has been very predictable. Where we are right now is exactly where i feared we would be post the 2022 off-season.

Dimma had too much say. Taranto trade cost us very little but the Hopper trade was just stupid.

 

[Sol23]

Just needs to be dropped end of and then probably delisted.
Club ****ed up but now need to rectify it.

 

[TheDyerLegacy]

After having a pretty decent season last year he’s really dropped off.

29 years old now and getting slower each game.

As it has been mentioned many times, the games not just passed him it’s flown by!

It’s hard to see him of service moving forward unless he’s the only midfielder of his type and surrounded by Hotton, Lalor and Smilie instead of Ross, Prestia and Tarranto

 

[beema limapep]

Of all 529 players to play so far in 2026, Hopper is equal 75th for average number of disposals but 2nd highest in the league for Clangers, and a DE in the first 5 games of 61%, 57%, 55%, 81% (2/3rds of disposals were handballs) and 53%.

More generally, we have 9 players in the top 112 players for Clangers - Hopper, Prestia, Lalor, Balta, Ross, Short, Taranto, Campbell and Miller.

 

[cairo tiger]

his possessions are so ineffective and he basically gives the ball to the opposition. how the coaches cant see that is bewildering.

 

[59Stanley]

I’m not sure what he brings to the team. Unless he is instructed to do things I can’t see he is actually a liability and someone like nrt or Burt should get a chance

 

[Achilles Heel]

Of all 529 players to play so far in 2026, Hopper is equal 75th for average number of disposals but 2nd highest in the league for Clangers, and a DE in the first 5 games of 61%, 57%, 55%, 81% (2/3rds of disposals were handballs) and 53%.

More generally, we have 9 players in the top 112 players for Clangers - Hopper, Prestia, Lalor, Balta, Ross, Short, Taranto, Campbell and Miller.

At least we are leading something

 

[Vassp]

Its wild to think the club thought this guy was going to be the missing link to our next flag. Extremely hard to watch the club completely **** itself up. I was calling the smoke out for a very long time and got a hell of a lot of abuse and suspensions here for my efforts - but all of this, has been very predictable. Where we are right now is exactly where i feared we would be post the 2022 off-season.

i was right there with you bro, got flamed in the process.

 

[Coach_Required]

Will go down as the worst trade in our history.

Said the same thing 4 weeks ago and was told i had no idea lol

 

[_DBF_]

Said the same thing 4 weeks ago and was told i had no idea lol

Yeah but to be fair, you have no idea


<3

 

[Coach_Required]

Yeah but to be fair, you have no idea


<3

 

[ShereKhan]

Its wild to think the club thought this guy was going to be the missing link to our next flag. Extremely hard to watch the club completely **** itself up. I was calling the smoke out for a very long time and got a hell of a lot of abuse and suspensions here for my efforts - but all of this, has been very predictable. Where we are right now is exactly where i feared we would be post the 2022 off-season.

Your first post in the Hopper thread was August 27th 2023 - 10-months after he was traded in. If you were of the strong opinion his acquisition was so 'wild' then where are your posts early in this thread?

We can all be hindsight heroes, but would have been meaningful if you were critical before Dimma left, Lynch missed nearly the entire season, Cotch, Jack, Grimes and Titch fell off a cliff and it turned to sh*te.

 

[docko911]

Its not just the trade - its the 7 ****ing 7 year contract they gave him that is really going to hurt

That was the one that threw me. He is a year older and shitter than Taranto, and yet we gave him the length same deal on reportedly the same $$$.