Jacob Hopper

[Leysy Days]

I reckon if you said to me this time, last year that Jack Steele would’ve been able to find a new club for 2026, I’d have laughed. He looked finished last season.

There will be a club that comes knocking for him. Who that is, we’ll have to wait & see.

If I was a betting man, my money would be on a club like Collingwood.

Jack Steele was also:

- 2 x All Australian
- 2 x B & F winner
- Voted most courageous player in AFL by his peers
- Sole captain of his club for the 5 preceding years to his trade
- Had a healthy body (min 18 games in each of the previous 9 seasons)

Even with all that, he was traded for a 3rd round pick in the 2027 draft. Likely to be about pick 50 in a draft two years in advance of the trade. Plus St Kilda still paying a decent portion of his contract.

There's your starting point for Hopper to get to.

His role and type just isn't in demand. At All.

We're stuck with him.

 

[Jason King]

We're stuck with him.

I love you Hopps!

 

[mb64]

Like most players he'd be a better player in a better team.

Then PRE would be saying "we never should've let him go".

If we could offload Hopper & his contract & he became an All Aust player l would still not have any regrets. Total disaster.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

If we could offload Hopper & his contract & he became an All Aust player l would still not have any regrets. Total disaster.

You have more chance of winning power ball 3 times.
If we CAN off load him expect us to pay 50% of his wage at a minimum
And he isn't getting into a AA team
He

 

[tigers80]

Who owns the decision here….

 

[Brodders17]

His last 60 center bounce attendance’s he has won 4 clearances

Quality over quantity.

 

[Brodders17]

Wasn’t as horrible as he has been previously, but not the way forward.

Must be omitted for the next match.

Yeah, I thought he was one of our less horrible on Saturday.

 

[Brodders17]

Both hopper and Prestia walking to contests. Doesn’t set a great example.

We're they walking or sprinting? I'm not sure anyone could tell the difference.

 

[dmc]

The big issue I see with Hopper is that I don't think we can even play him in another role.

Marking FW - No
High HF - No.
Small Forward - No
Wing - No
Running HB - No
Small Defender - No
Lock Down Back - No
Tagging MF - No

It's Centre Bounce or nothing!

 

[tigersnake]

Barring an unforeseen turnaround in form and/ or change in role, (stranger things have happened but its hard to envisage), I think he'll either have a mutually agreed retirement end of the year, or end of next year after limping through playing mainly VFL. As Leysy, and Twomey have said, his contract would be heavily front ended.

 

[Little Ziggyadee]

Why is Yze forced to play him.
We have players in the 2's now
He gives us nothing currently.

 

[Steely Danzig]

The big issue I see with Hopper is that I don't think we can even play him in any role.

Marking FW - No
High HF - No.
Small Forward - No
Wing - No
Running HB - No
Small Defender - No
Lock Down Back - No
Tagging MF - No
Centre Bounce - nothing!

e.f.a.

 

[RFC Centre]

Why is Yze forced to play him.
We have players in the 2's now
He gives us nothing currently.

We have AFL-listed midfielders playing reserves at the moment. We’ve had to throw Seth Campbell in there away from where he’s best suited to make up for our lack of midfielders.

Troops are coming & when they come, Hopper will be out of the side.

 

[The_General]

Why is Yze forced to play him.
We have players in the 2's now
He gives us nothing currently.

Our reserves side last week:
Ryan, HRS, Smith, Annand, Burton.

You take Hopper out, who's going to win all those clearances and put in all those blocks that he does?
You bring any of those in, we're immediately shuffling magnets and taking people out of their best position.

I'm guessing Yze thinks the sum total loss would be greater doing that than leaving him in.

 

[Barnzy]

Why is Yze forced to play him.
We have players in the 2's now
He gives us nothing currently.

Yze is the coach who played a washed Kamdyn McIntosh all last year in the seniors. Even as a midfielder over some kids.

He's not dropping Hopper. Does not have it in him.

 

[Coburgtiger]

Our reserves side last week:
Ryan, HRS, Smith, Annand, Burton.

You take Hopper out, who's going to win all those clearances and put in all those blocks that he does?
You bring any of those in, we're immediately shuffling magnets and taking people out of their best position.

I'm guessing Yze things the sum total loss would be greater doing that than leaving him in.

We had Ross and Taranto playing significant minutes forward. Grlj getting no midfield minutes when he has previously. We could have shuffled that. But I concede the options have been limited.

As much as I don't want to, I've had to grudgingly accept Hopper's presence in the side. Availability has been a significant issue. Personally, I would still have gone without him, but I get why you wouldn't.

No reason after the bye though.

 

[btoz_01]

Yze is the coach who played a washed Kamdyn McIntosh all last year in the seniors. Even as a midfielder over some kids.

He's not dropping Hopper. Does not have it in him.

If Yze is afraid to drop his favs that will be his downfall

 

[saigon tiger]

The big issue I see with Hopper is that I don't think we can even play him in another role.

Marking FW - No
High HF - No.
Small Forward - No
Wing - No
Running HB - No
Small Defender - No
Lock Down Back - No
Tagging MF - No

It's Centre Bounce or nothing!

Sit him in the goal square and tell him don't move. it will take another teams player out of the game and he might fluke a goal or 2

 

[Steely Danzig]

Sit him in the goal square and tell him don't move. it will take another teams player out of the game and he might fluke a goal or 2

Don't think he'll need to be told not to move.

 

[tigerlove]

The big issue I see with Hopper is that I don't think we can even play him in another role.

Marking FW - No
High HF - No.
Small Forward - No
Wing - No
Running HB - No
Small Defender - No
Lock Down Back - No
Tagging MF - No

It's Centre Bounce or nothing!

Bench-warming - No