Player Watch #2 Jacob Hopper

[partycorolla]

He didnt need to all but guarantee him to return next week though? Or say that hes been playing well when he very clearly hasn't.

Not sure it'd be seen as mistreating a player by saying something like 'he hasn't been at his best, so were going to give him a rest this week and make an assessment whether he comes straight back in V the dees later next week'

In fact if a player took that as being mistreated they have no place on an AFL list in the first place.

Plenty of coaches have said player X needs to work on a few things and get back to their best.....

What gets said publicly and behind closed doors are two different things. The players will all go through their edits. Hopper comparatively to his other crap games this year, did play well... compared to his output from last year, he did not play well.

No idea why every hangs so much on what a coach says in the media... they are all pretty much straight batting the responses away.

 

[RJK Tiger]

Dangerfield doesn't have weeks 'managed' because he's injured all the time. Flopping can be dangerous it seems. He misses months every year with injury - he probably should be managed. It's a silly comparison though because Danger is a burst, power athlete and Hopper is a "how to say plodder in atheletic terms"... He should have been dropped prior to this game. We need midfield availability soon from others.

Just FYI, players rested (managed) this year (based on very basic research):

Lochy Dovaston (1st yr)
Mark O'Connor (29 yrs old)
Tex Walker (old)
Jack Scrimshaw
Lachie Jacques
Mark Blicavs (old)
Jack Henry (not old)
Jack Martin (soft tissue is old )
Jamie Cripps
Toby Murray (wtf is he?)
Brad Close (Rnd 1)
Brent Daniels
Dane Rampe
Jaxon Prior
Xavier Lindsay
Jacob Hopper

he is 35 and has averaged over 18 games a game over the last 4 years with never playing less than 16.

Hopper is 29 & over the last 4 years averages 13.4 games a season - with 7,12,16 & 23

Big difference.

The actual point of topic tho is - Hopper should not be in the team based on form. If the club is truly just resting him vs dropping him - thats actually worse. We are actually giving the club the benefit of the doubt that they clearly see how poor he is been & they have dropped him as "rested" to avoid it becoming a media story. Because it would. We have been terrible, lack experience & the guy we traded the farm for only a few years ago can't even get a game. I'm surprised they are not talking about it more, already. Its more of a testament to how "meh" Hopper is tbh. He is not that fun to talk about

 

[tiger_tough]

What gets said publicly and behind closed doors are two different things. The players will all go through their edits. Hopper comparatively to his other crap games this year, did play well... compared to his output from last year, he did not play well.

No idea why every hangs so much on what a coach says in the media... they are all pretty much straight batting the responses away.

Thats the problem. I reckon Yze legitimately thinks Hopper is going okay. He keeps going back to the well with the same guys.

 

[partycorolla]

he is 35 and has averaged over 18 games a game over the last 4 years with never playing less than 16.

Hopper is 29 & over the last 4 years averages 13.4 games a season - with 7,12,16 & 23

Big difference.

The actual point of topic tho is - Hopper should not be in the team based on form. If the club is truly just resting him vs dropping him - thats actually worse. We are actually giving the club the benefit of the doubt that they clearly see how poor he is been & they have dropped him as "rested" to avoid it becoming a media story. Because it would. We have been terrible, lack experience & the guy we traded the farm for only a few years ago can't even get a game. I'm surprised they are not talking about it more, already. Its more of a testament to how "meh" Hopper is tbh. He is not that fun to talk about

18 games isn't that great when Cats play 26 games each year

Agree re Hopper. As you know I'm not a big fan of him being in the team.

 

[partycorolla]

Thats the problem. I reckon Yze legitimately thinks Hopper is going okay. He keeps going back to the well with the same guys.

That's a stretch. I would not think I could make any accurate assessment of what Yze does or doesn't think about him (or anyone else). Dimma did the same. When it comes to mids, we don't have the guys available that they may want to play (Cumming, Hotton, Smilie), so maybe they've made assessments about the others and don't want to waste time putting them in there because they think they'll produce less than what the gumboot brigade currently are...

I hope Kmac and Sonsie and Grlj and whoever else goes in the middle on Sunday does well but I'd be pretty surprised if any of them get 20+ possessions so hopefully they just have better production out of them than Hopper has been producing (shouldn't be too hard)

I suspect there may be a tension between what is best for any given week vs what is best for the development of our list and we may not get to see who the winner of that tension is until we have most of the list fit and available.

 

[tiger_tough]

That's a stretch. I would not think I could make any accurate assessment of what Yze does or doesn't think about him (or anyone else). Dimma did the same. When it comes to mids, we don't have the guys available that they may want to play (Cumming, Hotton, Smilie), so maybe they've made assessments about the others and don't want to waste time putting them in there because they think they'll produce less than what the gumboot brigade currently are...

I hope Kmac and Sonsie and Grlj and whoever else goes in the middle on Sunday does well but I'd be pretty surprised if any of them get 20+ possessions so hopefully they just have better production out of them than Hopper has been producing (shouldn't be too hard)

I suspect there may be a tension between what is best for any given week vs what is best for the development of our list and we may not get to see who the winner of that tension is until we have most of the list fit and available.

What do you mean, we had McAuliffe there ready to go?

 

[RJK Tiger]

18 games isn't that great when Cats play 26 games each year

Agree re Hopper. As you know I'm not a big fan of him being in the team.

I know - but remember also. Patty is 36 & born almost the same day as Trent Cotchin. who is 3 years retired. And Trent, had the same last 5 years "games played" than Dangerfield has right now. Paddy has been incredible in his conditioning and drive to play with the intensity he still does, we have been really ordinary in the last decade in when it comes to conditioning. Nearly all the players of the dynasty era had shorter careers than projected. I thought Dusty would still be playing right now and being a dangerous permanent forward.

 

[Danog]

I'll take whatever little joys we can get.

Surely only 1 of Hopper or Prestia can play for the rest of the year, barring injuries. Let them swap; idc.

McAuliffe, Grlj, Cumming, Sonsie, Hotton, Smillie should be ahead of them both in a midfield role in the side.

 

[partycorolla]

I know - but remember also. Patty is 36 & born almost the same day as Trent Cotchin. who is 3 years retired. And Trent, had the same last 5 years "games played" than Dangerfield has right now. Paddy has been incredible in his conditioning and drive to play with the intensity he still does, we have been really ordinary in the last decade in when it comes to conditioning. Nearly all the players of the dynasty era had shorter careers than projected. I thought Dusty would still be playing right now and being a dangerous permanent forward.

Success can be fulfilling too. Astbury retired early, Rance too, Castagna. What's left to play for. Don't think there is a conspiracy theory in those names.

Hopper shouldn't be part of that group though... early retirement could be an option though

 

[Truetiger]

What gets said publicly and behind closed doors are two different things. The players will all go through their edits. Hopper comparatively to his other crap games this year, did play well... compared to his output from last year, he did not play well.

No idea why every hangs so much on what a coach says in the media... they are all pretty much straight batting the responses away.

Media press conferences are a total waste of time, learn nothing from them, and the coaches don’t like them. You are correct; what is getting said to the media is different from that behind closed doors. Surely people realise that.

 

[partycorolla]

Media press conferences are a total waste of time, learn nothing from them, and the coaches don’t like them. You are correct; what is getting said to the media is different from that behind closed doors. Surely people realise that.

Yeah, they just part of the AFL media juggernaut. Get some sound bites, feed the news cycle, move on. Only time they get interesting is when the journos and the coaches have a spat.

Having said that, I'd expect the narrative to be publicly different when we are a more experienced squad in 2-3 years.

 

[Wooden Robot]

When it comes to mids, we don't have the guys available that they may want to play (Cumming, Hotton, Smilie), so maybe they've made assessments about the others and don't want to waste time putting them in there because they think they'll produce less than what the gumboot brigade currently are...

Not having a crack at you, but this is the crap that gets trotted out on here every day of the week.
It doesn't have to be Cumming, Hotton and Smillie; Yze has plenty of other options.
Lalor could go in more; Grlj; McAuliffe; Sonsie; Campbell, God help us, Rioli.
I doubt anyone seriously thinks if Hotton, Cumming and Smillie were available, they wouldn't be competing with Lalor and whoever else for the one spot, while Taranto, Hopper, Prestia and Ross rule the roost.

 

[Hoos]

Prestia next week, so let's hope McAuliffe plays in the middle this week and next, and plays well enough for Yze to reassess. No injuries might force the hand as well as the season goes.

Nope. He'll be out the following week.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Prestia next week, so let's hope McAuliffe plays in the middle this week and next, and plays well enough for Yze to reassess. No injuries might force the hand as well as the season goes.

No doubt that this is McAuliffe's big chance, and could be the defining moment in his season, if not his career.

A month ago he himself pulled out and Sonsie was given an unexpected chance and has grabbed it and is still in the senior team. If Sonsie had not stepped it up like he has, his career would be pretty much cooked at Tigerland.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Nope. He'll be out the following week.

If he doesn't play well, yes. The ball is in his court.

 

[partycorolla]

Not having a crack at you, but this is the crap that gets trotted out on here every day of the week.
It doesn't have to be Cumming, Hotton and Smillie; Yze has plenty of other options.
Lalor could go in more; Grlj; McAuliffe; Sonsie; Campbell, God help us, Rioli.
I doubt anyone seriously thinks if Hotton, Cumming and Smillie were available, they wouldn't be competing with Lalor and whoever else for the one spot, while Taranto, Hopper, Prestia and Ross rule the roost.

Lalor was in 68% of CBAs last week - he doesn't yet have the tank that allows him to play full midfield games. If we fatigue him, he is far more likely to have soft tissue problems. So no thanks - no risk approach with him.

Grlj has gone in there a little bit over the last few weeks, Campbell occasionally (looked a bit lost), Sonsie would be good to see but I suspect won't be great. Playing guys there who haven't done, haven't trained and have no experience at it, might be good for appeasing the forums, but not great for the match results. We need to retire Dion, upgrade Hopper and Ross, while getting Taranto to spend some time forward.

We'll get Cumming next week, hopefully Burton at some point, then Taj and Smilie later in the season. The upgrades for Hopper and Prestia will need to be found in MSD, trade and FA periods to support the kids in their development.

 

[Hoos]

If he doesn't play well, yes. The ball is in his court.

Let's hope he's played in his best position. If so he's every chance I reckon.

 

[db26]

Baffling his straight in rested or whatever his been a liability yet not sent to the vfl to regain form.

 

[Aeons]

Baffling his straight in rested or whatever his been a liability yet not sent to the vfl to regain form.

agreed. the clanger count in Fridays game were fairly even until his 5 clangers and 2 frees against made the difference. his stats this year have been deplorable, he needs to bw dropped on form alone and saying he is being managed is poor form from the selection committee..we need to be holding all players accountable for poor form not just the kids.

 

[Hoos]

we need to be holding all players accountable for poor form not just the kids.

That might just work.

It certainly hasn't been tried yet.

 

[Julio Dulio]

Biggest news in a while is that teams are targeting the great A-grade mid in Jacob Hopper

2

Jacob Hopper

Age

29

Ht

187cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.0

5star

K

9.9

4star

HB

11.1

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.5

5star

CL

4.3

5star

D

17.6

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

4.6

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

18.6

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.4

5star

.
There is no doubt there will be many teams, throwing all kinds of crazy offers to the tigers for the services of the club legend.
Perhaps a swap for butters + a sweetener might pry him away.
What are peoples thoughts on hops value on the trade market?

 

[Daka]

Obviously, Tom Morris reported it.
And the rumors are getting louder that he could potentially want out, or the club wants him out.
This is a good thing in my opinion as guys like Sam Cumming, Kane McAuliffe already look like they are playing better footy.

Jack Ross

5

Jack Ross

Age

25

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

2.7

4star

CL

3.0

4star

D

13.7

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.7

3star

CL

2.0

4star

D

17.8

5star

K

8.0

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

is better & he would be on far less.

The "Managed" felt like a dropping whichever way you spin it he hadn't been good form & was rested not a good look. maybe the club list boss/coach is finally realizing that he hasn't lived up to the contract we gave him.

If Hopper wants out which it sounds like he might than this only good for our club imo.

 

[delediofan3]

Anything more than a 3rd rounder is a win

 

[TigerTime88]

Anyone else concerned that Hopper doesn't live up to the hype ?

I haven't seen anything to suggest that he isn't the bog average mid he was at GWS outside of his AA year. Doesn't get it enough and is prone to make errors. Hopefully there is improvement in him but just at present it is a concern for me.

Good call.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Future captain

I don't think so