Andrew Hooper
Encyclopedia
Andrew Hooper is an Australian rules footballer for the Western Bulldogs
in the Australian Football League
(AFL). Hooper became the first player to make his VFL/AFL debut in a finals match since Paul Spargo
in 1985.
in the Ballarat Football League
. He then played for the North Ballarat Rebels
in the TAC Cup
competition in 2009. Hooper was selected to play for the Victorian Country side at the AFL Under-18 Championships and he was the joint-winner of the Larke Medal, with David Swallow
, awarded to the best and fairest player at the championships. Despite tearing his calf muscle two weeks before the AFL Draft Camp, Hooper still participated, coming second in the agility test, third in the 20 m sprint and equal third in the standing vertical jump.
After overcoming injuries at the start of 2010, Hooper played with the Bulldogs' VFL-affiliate side Williamstown
for the majority of the season, where he became a "cult-figure" and increasingly important player as the Seagulls finished on top of the VFL ladder. As a result of his performances with Williamstown, Hooper was pushing for senior selection throughout the season. He was promoted to the primary list for round 15 and was named as an emergency the same round. He also came close to making his debut in a round 22 match against Essendon. Hooper instead made his AFL debut in the Western Bulldogs' semi final match against Sydney. In doing so, he became the first player to make his debut in a finals match in 25 years. Described as having a "giant influence", Hooper had five possessions and kicked a goal, which sparked the Bulldogs' comeback. The Herald Sun
claimed that, after his performance, Hooper would "no doubt be back [next week]". However, he was dropped for the preliminary final match against St Kilda and the Bulldogs lost, ending their finals campaign.
Hooper was promoted to the Bulldogs' senior list with the 110th selection in the 2010 AFL Draft
and signed a two year contract with the club.
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
in 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 became the first player to make his VFL/AFL debut in a finals match since Paul Spargo
Paul Spargo
Paul Spargo is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne and the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League . A half forward, he is the son of Footscray's Grand Final player Bob Spargo....
in 1985.
Junior career
Hooper began playing Australian rules football with Golden Point Football ClubGolden Point Football Club
The Golden Point Football Club were an Australian rules football club which competed in the Ballarat Football League from 1905 to 2000. Golden Point were based in the Ballarat suburb of the same name....
in the Ballarat Football League
Ballarat Football League
The Ballarat Football League is an Australian rules football competition that operates in the Ballarat region of Victoria, Australia.The competition formed in 1893 as the Ballarat Football Association and was renamed Ballarat Football League in 1908 and was briefly known as the Ballarat-Wimmera...
. He then played for the North Ballarat Rebels
North Ballarat Rebels
The North Ballarat Rebels are an Australian rules football club which play in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia.North Ballarat is one of four regional clubs set up as part of a plan by the AFL to have clubs set in all regions of the state.This was to help aid in player...
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
competition in 2009. Hooper was selected to play for the Victorian Country side at the AFL Under-18 Championships and he was the joint-winner of the Larke Medal, with David Swallow
David Swallow
David Swallow is an Australian rules footballer for the Gold Coast Football Club. He was the number one draft pick in the 2010 AFL Draft....
, awarded to the best and fairest player at the championships. Despite tearing his calf muscle two weeks before the AFL Draft Camp, Hooper still participated, coming second in the agility test, third in the 20 m sprint and equal third in the standing vertical jump.
AFL career
Although Hooper had an impressive junior career, there were concerns that he would struggle at AFL level due to his small height of 172 cm. As such, he was overlooked in the 2009 National Draft, but was taken by the Western Bulldogs with the 35th draft pick in the 2010 Rookie Draft.After overcoming injuries at the start of 2010, Hooper played with the Bulldogs' VFL-affiliate side Williamstown
Williamstown Football Club
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne and are currently playing in the Victorian Football League...
for the majority of the season, where he became a "cult-figure" and increasingly important player as the Seagulls finished on top of the VFL ladder. As a result of his performances with Williamstown, Hooper was pushing for senior selection throughout the season. He was promoted to the primary list for round 15 and was named as an emergency the same round. He also came close to making his debut in a round 22 match against Essendon. Hooper instead made his AFL debut in the Western Bulldogs' semi final match against Sydney. In doing so, he became the first player to make his debut in a finals match in 25 years. Described as having a "giant influence", Hooper had five possessions and kicked a goal, which sparked the Bulldogs' comeback. The Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
claimed that, after his performance, Hooper would "no doubt be back [next week]". However, he was dropped for the preliminary final match against St Kilda and the Bulldogs lost, ending their finals campaign.
Hooper was promoted to the Bulldogs' senior list with the 110th selection in the 2010 AFL Draft
2010 AFL Draft
The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...
and signed a two year contract with the club.