Rhan Hooper (born in Charleville, Queensland 9 January 1988) is an Australian rules football player for the Brisbane Lions. Hooper is known for his blistering pace and hard tackling.
An indigenous Australian (Murri), Hooper was recruited from Ipswich in Queensland and wears the number 33 Guernsey made famous by his idol, indigenous player Darryl White. He is also a cult figure in Brisbane, and the cry "Hoo-per" can sometimes be heard throughout the 'Gabba whenever he takes possession.
Hooper is classified as a utility player, with his ability to play many positions due to his speed, agility and his tackling skills. He has played as a forward pocket, half forward, rover, wingman, half back and back pocket.
Hooper has maintained a high media profile for being an "accidental AFL footballer" due to his sometimes unprofessional approach to his football career.
[edit] Early life
Hooper was born in Charleville to indigenous Australian (Murri) parents whose ancestry is from the Kooma tribe[1], before later moving to Cunnamulla.[2] He spent some time in Melbourne as a teenager where he was first exposed to Aussie Rules by one of his sports coaches before returning to live in Ipswich, a rugby league stronghold where he attended the Bundamba State Secondary College and continued to play Australian football with the Ipswich Eagles, impressing talent scouts with his dashes of blistering pace and ability to pick the ball up at full speed. He drew comparisons to the similar size and skills of Melbourne Demons rookie Aaron Davey, who had surprised the league a year earlier.
[edit] AFL career
Picked at number 41 in the 2005 National Draft, Hooper took very little time to break into senior AFL level, with an exciting performance in the 2006 NAB Cup.
Hooper debuted in the premiership season against Essendon showing plenty of pace, kicking a goal in his first game and racking up an impressive 7 tackles. His following performances were solid enough to guarantee his selection for several matches.
In Late January 2007 it was revealed by the Lions that Hooper had lost his enthusiasm for the work involved in being a professional football player. Coach Leigh Matthews stated that the club had been working with Hooper to resolve any issues but had stopped paying him wages in the interim.[3] Hooper returned to the senior side with a renewed commitment in June 2007, returning in round 10.[4]
Among the highlights Hooper's season in 2007 were a 2007 AFL Army Award nomination in round 10 for a match saving chase-down and tackle against the Richmond Football Club in round 10, 5 crucial tackles against Melbourne Football Club in round 15 and a Bag of 4 goals against Carlton Football Club in round 16[5]
However a lowlight was Hooper's suspension by the league for striking Hawthorn Hawks player Rick Ladson in Round 19 which was increased to 3 matches after Hooper contested a 2 match ban.[6]
In December 2008, Hooper was suspended by the Brisbane Lions for 58 days for several breaches to his playing contract including continually failing to attend pre-season training sessions.[7]
In early 2009, he was fined AUD$40,000 for multiple breaches of his playing contract including a second failure to attend training following his first suspension.[8] The AFLPA backed the club's penalty. Coach Michael Voss persisted with Hooper to extend the player's AFL career.[9]
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