Retired #26: Cale Hooker - Has announced his retirement at season's end 🍷

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a

 

[Tassieboy]

Keep him down there. We did not have a target for 3 quarters. His final quarter was heroic.

 

[Towno78]

Keep him down there. We did not have a target for 3 quarters. His final quarter was heroic.

Yep. Dragged us over the line

 

[daffo]

He set up the second last goal & made the contest which ended up becoming his last goal.
Just amazing. He puts the effort in. Love it.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Hooker will go down as one of the greats at EFC

 

[eth-dog]

Awesome player. Just awesome

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Last two mins video on the AFL site worth a watch. He completely, almost single-handedly, willed us to those last two goals. An unstoppable force.

 

[blitzer]

I've wanted him forward the whole time. The real problem is though that we don't have good coverage for those taller forward types. Our forward structure looked miles better with him up there to straighten us up and bring the ball to ground, which we've lacked with Daniher out.

 

[Beerfish]

And he's a West Australian. East Freo represent.

 

[carnthedons]

Star. McGovern isn’t the best mark in the comp, this guy is. Given our lack of fit forward line and guys like Hartley, Ridley in the twos, pretty obvious what plan A should be now.

Real shame we haven’t been able to give heart and soul guys like him and Hurls the careers they deserve. Also makes me wonder what might have been given we had a young fella Pears who looked much better early doors. Hope we can at least get some consistency in the next few years while Hooksy and the Bear are still around.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Dished off a hand ball at chf and then ran all the way back to the sqaure to take that mark what a beast love him

 

[Jacques_]

Outside Essendon supporters this guy has been criminally underrated, just an awesome player.

 

[Halloween Jack]

what a beast of a man.

 

[Towno78]

So. Leave him forward for the rest of the year?

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Keep him down there. We did not have a target for 3 quarters. His final quarter was heroic.

Yep just said the same in another thread. We lost Joe and Hooker from our 2017 forward line. We need him more forward now than back. Hartley been great all year. Hartley in, Hooker forward.

 

[Mercurial89]

Yep just said the same in another thread. We lost Joe and Hooker from our 2017 forward line. We need him more forward now than back. Hartley been great all year. Hartley in, Hooker forward.

I think at least until Stringer is back (and even when he is back) we need him forward to have any hope of getting this forwardline working.

Brown is giving us nothing in the air and whilst smack can take a grab he also is hot and cold.

Hurley Francis Hartley is serviceable but does look vulnerable without hooker and ambrose. But even then you would hope even though we may leak 2-3 more goals if we can get a functioning forward line we should be able to cover that

 

[VelvetSledge]

Hooker will go down as one of the greats at EFC

100% this. Great call

 

[Darealrath]

I still worry about how vulnerable our defence is without him. Swinging him forward when desperate might be the best option.

 

[DapperDon]

Dished off a hand ball at chf and then ran all the way back to the sqaure to take that mark what a beast love him

Seriously underrated piece of play, to make the contest give off the ball and to turn and gut run to the goal square 1min left in the 4th to take the winning mark and goal was possibly the best single player moment we've had in many years.

Also quite possibly the most underrated player we've ever had on our list (not to most Essendon supporters)

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Even comes with his own BF banner.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I still worry about how vulnerable our defence is without him. Swinging him forward when desperate might be the best option.

With Hurley, Ambrose, Francis, Hartley and BZT, you’d hope we can make it work.

 

[eth-dog]

We have the outright best defence in the VFL and he's the best fit key forward on the list. No brainer for me.

 

[Darealrath]

With Hurley, Ambrose, Francis, Hartley and BZT, you’d hope we can make it work.

I'd definitely like to see Hartley or BZT but it doesn't look like they are in Worsfold's short term plans. Hurley, Ambrose and Francis are too short a combination.

 

[jmoo wan]

Seriously underrated piece of play, to make the contest give off the ball and to turn and gut run to the goal square 1min left in the 4th to take the winning mark and goal was possibly the best single player moment we've had in many years.

Also quite possibly the most underrated player we've ever had on our list (not to most Essendon supporters)

and then Hep tells him to sprint back to the backline before the next bounce, which he does.

 

[Howard Moon]

he didnt just gather, he had an onrushing coniglio I think? who tried to wrap him up.. he pushing him off with distain like he wasn't even there and gave the ball off, then made the next contest - the push off was my favorite part

 

[JayJ20]

He is our most important player. Our forward line completely changed with him. Play him forward.