Remove this Banner Ad

Player Watch #2 Jacob Hopper

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Remember when he was going at 33% Disposal Efficiency during quite a few games?

It's a big problem. If you are going at less than 50% you are basically going at more than 50% for the opposition or at least feeding them 50/50 groundballs
 
Remember when he was going at 33% Disposal Efficiency during quite a few games?

It's a big problem. If you are going at less than 50% you are basically going at more than 50% for the opposition or at least feeding them 50/50 groundballs
Thats the other players fault as they cant get to where he delivers the ball

Will win JD medal in 2025
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Remember when he was going at 33% Disposal Efficiency during quite a few games?

It's a big problem. If you are going at less than 50% you are basically going at more than 50% for the opposition or at least feeding them 50/50 groundballs
The only issue with these stats, that make it look bad for Hopper. My question is how hard are the other players working to get the ball off him. If you look at Baker, Bolton & Short last season, they were half assing it for most of the season as they had given up on the year & there were other players that admitted at the start of last season that didn't buy into the changes with the new coaching group. So hopefully if Hopper can stay fit & the players can buy into a new style of gameplan, we will see some bigger improvement in Hopper & the rest of the team.
 
The only issue with these stats, that make it look bad for Hopper. My question is how hard are the other players working to get the ball off him. If you look at Baker, Bolton & Short last season, they were half assing it for most of the season as they had given up on the year & there were other players that admitted at the start of last season that didn't buy into the changes with the new coaching group. So hopefully if Hopper can stay fit & the players can buy into a new style of gameplan, we will see some bigger improvement in Hopper & the rest of the team.
agree. often hopps had the ball and evaded traffic, looked goalwards, looked left, looked right ready to dish off saw doughnuts so just hoiked it or scrubbed it forward. will improve once his team mates wake up/read him better.
 
I know Hopper has a long contract but in some ways he is playing for his career this year. Taranto is pretty safe and will hopefully have a big year. Prestia is still a very good player, but he is an on-going injury away from finished. Ross hopefully gets a good crack at it, because I think he is a creative player and a similar type in many respects to Hopper. McAuliffe could be a proper mid this year.

So Hopper has to stay injury free and come the goods this year, because Lalor and Smillie will be coming pretty hard in 2026. Hopper has shown some glimpses of his former self, but has had little continuity. He needs to win the ball at the coal face, because that is where we need him most. If he can get his hands on it regularly I think his ball use will improve because confidence is the no.1 thing in that respect.
 
Hope he can stay fit, I remember that game where he was dominating then got injured and you can see the frustration on his face. We’re going to need players with passion to drive us forward
yep... backing hop's in to throw off the injury clouds and have the year we all (including him)need him to have
man just has not had any luck since joining us
does looks fit and healthy going by the preseason videos we have seen so far
looking forward to a full productive 25' season
 
Hopper gonna prove why he’s the goat this season
Sassy Oh No GIF by Nickelodeon
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

I know Hopper has a long contract but in some ways he is playing for his career this year. Taranto is pretty safe and will hopefully have a big year. Prestia is still a very good player, but he is an on-going injury away from finished. Ross hopefully gets a good crack at it, because I think he is a creative player and a similar type in many respects to Hopper. McAuliffe could be a proper mid this year.

So Hopper has to stay injury free and come the goods this year, because Lalor and Smillie will be coming pretty hard in 2026. Hopper has shown some glimpses of his former self, but has had little continuity. He needs to win the ball at the coal face, because that is where we need him most. If he can get his hands on it regularly I think his ball use will improve because confidence is the no.1 thing in that respect.

At full fitness Hopper is a terrific player. So if he’s injury plagued in 2025, no reason he can’t be terrific in 2026 when just 29yo. Or 2027 when 30yo and so on ….

He’s here for 5 more years, so any thought of ‘playing for his career’ is way too premature. But he’s on ballpark $750k / season, which is relative chicken feed when considering there’ll be 50+ $1m dollar players by 2027.

The beauty of the TT and Hopper trades is they were there for the ‘now’ if we were good/lucky enough to contend (we weren’t) and they were for the future.

No reason Hopper can’t be an absolutely integral part of what is hopefully a contending team from 2027-2029 in the last 3-years of his deal, regardless of what happens this year or next. The guy just needs some luck.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
At full fitness Hopper is a terrific player. So if he’s injury plagued in 2025, no reason he can’t be terrific in 2026 when just 29yo. Or 2027 when 30yo and so on ….

He’s here for 5 more years, so any thought of ‘playing for his career’ is way too premature. But he’s on ballpark $750k / season, which is relative chicken feed when considering there’ll be 50+ $1m dollar players by 2027.

The beauty of the TT and Hopper trades is they were there for the ‘now’ if we were good/lucky enough to contend (we weren’t) and they were for the future.

No reason Hopper can’t be an absolutely integral part of what is hopefully a contending team from 2027-2029 in the last 3-years of his deal, regardless of what happens this year or next. The guy just needs some luck.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
When I say playing for his career I mean if he has an injury plagued season then he slips down the ladder.

He was a terrific player but it has been a while since he was that. If he has a poor year for whatever reason, and others like Ross don't, there is a good chance that he slips down the ladder with a good crop of young guns rising up that midfield ladder.

The difference in developing midfielders we have added recently like Sonsie, Down, RCJ and McAuliffe, Smillie and Lalor is that the latter 3 are already built for the job, big mids who will get bigger, fitter, stronger, which negates the need for what Hopper adds, strength around the ball.

Add also the development of faster mids that will be needed through the middle, maybe Campbell, MRJ and eventually Hotton, then Hopper will want to have a good year. Some very good players have been left behind in young developing sides.
 
He better produce something this year close to resembling his pay packet.
Money is money, form is form, too many excuses not enough performance.
 
He better produce something this year close to resembling his pay packet.
Money is money, form is form, too many excuses not enough performance.
Got a good feeling about hops...brewing summit special this year and won't be VB malty horse puss!
 
If he stays fit Hopper will be a top end mid. very big if given the last few years.

Gotta hope. A fit Hopper and Taranto makes our midfield strong. Then others can fit around them. It'll be interesting if he does stay fit, cause our weaknesses will be less and our strengths stronger.
 
If he stays fit Hopper will be a top end mid. very big if given the last few years.

Gotta hope. A fit Hopper and Taranto makes our midfield strong. Then others can fit around them. It'll be interesting if he does stay fit, cause our weaknesses will be less and our strengths stronger.
I dont agree, TT is mid tier onballer at best, hopper hasnt proved himself yet.

This is not harsh, its just the reality of our midfield, hope our pups come along smoothly.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Player Watch #2 Jacob Hopper

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top