Rhan Hooper
Encyclopedia
Rhan Hooper is a former Australian rules football
er who has played for the Brisbane Lions
and the Hawthorn Hawks
of the Australian Football League
(AFL). Hooper is known for his blistering pace and hard tackling.
Picked at number 41 in the 2005 National Draft by Brisbane
, Hooper was recruited from Ipswich
in Queensland
and wore the number 33 Guernsey formerly worn by his idol, indigenous player Darryl White
.
Hooper is an indigenous Australian (Murri), classified as a utility player, with his ability to play many positions. He has played as a forward pocket
, half forward, rover, wingman, half back and back pocket
.
Hooper maintained a high media profile for being an "accidental AFL footballer" due to his sometimes unprofessional approach to his football career.
to indigenous Australian (Murri) parents whose ancestry is from the Kooma
tribe, before later moving to Cunnamulla
.
Hooper lived in Ipswich
as a teenager and attended the Bundamba State Secondary College
.
He spent some time in Melbourne
in his late teens where he was first exposed to Aussie Rules by one of his sports coaches. He proved a talent and even played some matches with the Dandenong Stingrays
after he returned to Ipswich to play outstanding football with the Ipswich Eagles, he caught the eye of Brisbane Lions talent scouts. His dashes of blistering pace and ability to pick the ball up at full speed drew comparisons to the similar size and skills of Melbourne Demons
forward Aaron Davey
, who had surprised the league a year earlier.
.
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. His former 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. Hooper returned to the senior side with a renewed commitment in June 2007, returning in round 10.
Among his highlights, season 2007 brought a 2007 AFL Army Award
nomination in Round 10 for a match saving chase-down and tackle against the Richmond Tigers
, five crucial tackles against Melbourne in Round 15 and four goals against the Carlton Blues
in Round 16.
However a lowlight was Hooper's suspension by the league for striking Hawthorn player Rick Ladson
in Round 19 which was increased to three matches after Hooper contested a two match ban.
In December 2008, Hooper was suspended by the Lions for 58 days for several breaches to his playing contract including continually failing to attend pre-season training sessions.
In early 2009, he was fined $40,000 for multiple breaches of his playing contract including a second failure to attend training following his first suspension. The AFLPA backed the club's penalty. His last Brisbane Coach, Michael Voss
, grew tired with Hooper and delisted him at the end of the season despite being under contract. He was picked up in the 2009 National Draft by Hawthorn using pick 58.
Hooper played six games for the Hawks and kicked seven goals, showing sheer signs of brilliance, in particular in Round 22 against the Collingwood Magpies
where he single-handedly kept Magpies game-breaker Dale Thomas
to five disposals for the game. Hooper also kicked a very valuable goal in the final quarter as the Hawks went on to win the game by three points.
Despite this great resurgence to his footy career, on 6 October 2010, Hawthorn announced Hooper had quit the club and returned home to Queensland to start a family.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er who has played for the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
and the Hawthorn Hawks
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
of the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). Hooper is known for his blistering pace and hard tackling.
Picked at number 41 in the 2005 National Draft by Brisbane
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
, Hooper was recruited from Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and wore the number 33 Guernsey formerly worn by his idol, indigenous player Darryl White
Darryl White
Darryl White is a former Australian rules footballer whose career with the Brisbane Bears and Lions in the Australian Football League lasted from 1992 to 2005....
.
Hooper is an indigenous Australian (Murri), classified as a utility player, with his ability to play many positions. He has played as a forward pocket
Forward pocket
In Australian rules football, the forward pocket refers to a position on the field deep in offense.Forward pocket players, situated in the forward line, need to have good avoidance and goal sneak skills and usually, quality forward-pockets are noted for their agility and ability to score difficult...
, half forward, rover, wingman, half back and back pocket
Back pocket
In Australian rules football, the back pocket refers to a position on the field deep in defence.Back pocket players, situated in the backline, need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness....
.
Hooper maintained a high media profile for being an "accidental AFL footballer" due to his sometimes unprofessional approach to his football career.
Early life
Hooper was born in CharlevilleCharleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
to indigenous Australian (Murri) parents whose ancestry is from the Kooma
Kooma
The Kooma are an Indigenous Australian tribe living in the border region of Queensland and New South Wales. Category:Aboriginal tribes of New South Wales...
tribe, before later moving to Cunnamulla
Cunnamulla, Queensland
Cunnamulla is a small town that lies on the Warrego River in south west Queensland, Australia, south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane....
.
Hooper lived in Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
as a teenager and attended the Bundamba State Secondary College
Bundamba State Secondary College
Bundamba State Secondary College is a Queensland public secondary school in the Ipswich suburb of Bundamba....
.
He spent some time in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in his late teens where he was first exposed to Aussie Rules by one of his sports coaches. He proved a talent and even played some matches with the Dandenong Stingrays
Dandenong Stingrays
The Dandenong Stingrays are an Australian rules football team in a Victorian under 18s league called the TAC Cup.1992 saw the birth of the ‘Southern Stingrays’ and they were developed under the leadership of Steve Kennedy and Ron Roach with the home base located at the Ben Kavanagh Reserve,...
after he returned to Ipswich to play outstanding football with the Ipswich Eagles, he caught the eye of Brisbane Lions talent scouts. His dashes of blistering pace and ability to pick the ball up at full speed drew comparisons to the similar size and skills of Melbourne Demons
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
forward Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey
Aaron Davey is a professional Australian rules football player of Indigenous Australian heritage. He currently plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
, who had surprised the league a year earlier.
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 Cup2006 NAB Cup
The 2006 NAB Cup was held across Australia between 24 February and 18 March. The NAB Cup was won by Geelong who defeated Adelaide in the Grand Final of the knock-out pre-season competition.- Prize money :...
.
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. His former Coach Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
stated that the club had been working with Hooper to resolve any issues but had stopped paying him wages in the interim. Hooper returned to the senior side with a renewed commitment in June 2007, returning in round 10.
Among his highlights, season 2007 brought a 2007 AFL Army Award
2007 AFL Army Award
The Australian Football League celebrates the best act of selflessness or one percenter of the season through the annual AFL Army Award competition.-Winners by Round:Legend* Winner of round in BLUE* *Denotes current Round-See also:* AFL Army Award...
nomination in Round 10 for a match saving chase-down and tackle against the Richmond Tigers
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
, five crucial tackles against Melbourne in Round 15 and four goals against the Carlton Blues
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in Round 16.
However a lowlight was Hooper's suspension by the league for striking Hawthorn player Rick Ladson
Rick Ladson
Rick Ladson is a professional Australian Rules Footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Ladson was selected at no. 16 in the 2001 AFL Draft from the Bendigo Pioneers and is a defender and outside midfielder....
in Round 19 which was increased to three matches after Hooper contested a two match ban.
In December 2008, Hooper was suspended by the Lions for 58 days for several breaches to his playing contract including continually failing to attend pre-season training sessions.
In early 2009, he was fined $40,000 for multiple breaches of his playing contract including a second failure to attend training following his first suspension. The AFLPA backed the club's penalty. His last Brisbane Coach, Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
, grew tired with Hooper and delisted him at the end of the season despite being under contract. He was picked up in the 2009 National Draft by Hawthorn using pick 58.
Hooper played six games for the Hawks and kicked seven goals, showing sheer signs of brilliance, in particular in Round 22 against the Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
where he single-handedly kept Magpies game-breaker Dale Thomas
Dale Thomas (footballer)
Dale Robert Jordan Thomas is a professional Australian rules football player currently with the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
to five disposals for the game. Hooper also kicked a very valuable goal in the final quarter as the Hawks went on to win the game by three points.
Despite this great resurgence to his footy career, on 6 October 2010, Hawthorn announced Hooper had quit the club and returned home to Queensland to start a family.