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

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Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a
 
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Hooker was a free agent and turned down a number of enticing offers from opposition clubs.

“The reason I’m going back to Essendon isn’t out of anger or to prove anyone wrong, it’s just to help the club become great again.

“And if I have kids, if they go to the club, they can be proud of the club.

“What happened at the club shouldn’t have happened, how it transpired in the four years shouldn’t have happened either, but there’s no point feeling sorry for yourself, or wanting people to feel sorry for you, my mindset now is to cop it like a man, it is what it is, and move on.’’
 

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Bunk Moreland said:
Hooker was a free agent and turned down a number of enticing offers from opposition clubs.

“The reason I’m going back to Essendon isn’t out of anger or to prove anyone wrong, it’s just to help the club become great again.

“And if I have kids, if they go to the club, they can be proud of the club.

“What happened at the club shouldn’t have happened, how it transpired in the four years shouldn’t have happened either, but there’s no point feeling sorry for yourself, or wanting people to feel sorry for you, my mindset now is to cop it like a man, it is what it is, and move on.’’
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Build that statue now!
 
Bunk Moreland said:
Hooker was a free agent and turned down a number of enticing offers from opposition clubs.

“The reason I’m going back to Essendon isn’t out of anger or to prove anyone wrong, it’s just to help the club become great again.

“And if I have kids, if they go to the club, they can be proud of the club.

“What happened at the club shouldn’t have happened, how it transpired in the four years shouldn’t have happened either, but there’s no point feeling sorry for yourself, or wanting people to feel sorry for you, my mindset now is to cop it like a man, it is what it is, and move on.’’
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He was the second one to sign on too wasn't he? I think Buddha was a few days earlier 🤔
 
Albertross said:
My favorite current day player by a country mile. Not because I think he's our best player, its because this bloke bleeds black and red. He's proud to pull the Essendon jumper on every single time. A few more boys with the same passion chook shows for the club and we may even be successful again.
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Yep, he’s a throwback. Legit loves the club, you can tell.

This was my favourite Hooker performance. And there’s been a few, he has a knack of getting involved with match winning goals. But this last two mins. He simply won the game for us. Refused to lose.



To start with, he just bundles Davis - a strong and very good defender - out of the way. Put him flat on his arse. And without a second’s thought, sweeps a huge handball out to a running Smack, who goals to draw us level.

Then skip to 2:45. This was right in front of where I was sitting... he was out of position here, but simply willed himself to this contest. And hit it like a train. He gathered the ball and had an opponent right in his face. He literally just picked the bloke up and threw him to the ground in real getthe****outtamyway fashion. Then he shovelled the ball off to a kicker and was already on his bike back to goal, knowing we needed a marking target. Whaddaya know, the ball goes forward and in a flash, he’s there under it. He’s made that much ground, busting a gut at the end of the game. You can hear how utterly impressed Carey is with what he’s done.

Marks. Goals. We win.

**** me, if we had 22 Cale Hookers we’d in a bloody good spot. What a player, what a man, geddimupereiwannaboofim.
 
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www.essendonfc.com.au

Fishing and reminiscing with Hooksy

Ahead of his 200th game, Cale Hooker is joined by best mate Tom Bellchambers for fishing and a chat in Maroochydore, Queensland.
www.essendonfc.com.au www.essendonfc.com.au

haha! Such a set up though. Always hated when his opponent celebrated as a back so as a forward he always tries to celebrate hard and get the boys going a bit. Also tries to kick it to Moz and get him into the game as a newbie, since Monfries did the same for him (housemate in the early days).

Also buy some Hooker Wines and stuff:

www.essendonfc.com.au

Celebrate Hooker's 200th with a limited-edition wine

Essendon and Hooker Wines have collaborated to release a commemorative wine for Cale Hooker's 200th AFL game.
www.essendonfc.com.au www.essendonfc.com.au
 
Radio interview from this afternoon:

player.whooshkaa.com

The journey to 200 games

Essendon star Cale Hooker joined us ahead of his 200 games
player.whooshkaa.com player.whooshkaa.com

- What changed at half time: Structural changes, effort, stoppages, got some momentum and Joe started taking some marks and everyone got excited
- Inevitable questions about Joe: Inevitable answers about Joe (seeing him putting all the work in, great to see, whole group lifted, blah blah)
- Reflecting on his career: Thanking people etc.
- Groundhog day in the hubs, Tuesday feels like the end of the week for them.
- Hub moved to Maroochydore, reinvigorated the group a bit with the change, lifted the energy a bit
- When do you find out where you'll be playing: Coaches tell them whose playing and any positional changes and stuff two days before the game at the main training session, then captains run any little changes week to week.
- Fresh airy: Probably looked worse on TV, he led out and the ball went over his head, realised when he was jumping and immediately ran back, lucky bounce so the ball sat up for him. He's seen the replay and he can laugh at himself
- Joe question again, is he playing: Yeah I think he's playing, performed well, managed minutes, with shorter games pulled up well, couple of guys coming in. Hep and Hurls back in too.
- Hooker Wines plug: $300 for a case, 300 cases, limited edition 200 games milestone, saved the best fruit from the 2019 vintage for the run.
 
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Lore said:
www.essendonfc.com.au

Fishing and reminiscing with Hooksy

Ahead of his 200th game, Cale Hooker is joined by best mate Tom Bellchambers for fishing and a chat in Maroochydore, Queensland.
www.essendonfc.com.au www.essendonfc.com.au

haha! Such a set up though. Always hated when his opponent celebrated as a back so as a forward he always tries to celebrate hard and get the boys going a bit. Also tries to kick it to Moz and get him into the game as a newbie, since Monfries did the same for him (housemate in the early days).

Also buy some Hooker Wines and stuff:

www.essendonfc.com.au

Celebrate Hooker's 200th with a limited-edition wine

Essendon and Hooker Wines have collaborated to release a commemorative wine for Cale Hooker's 200th AFL game.
www.essendonfc.com.au www.essendonfc.com.au
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I like it when we get to hear from Hooker more, says a lot more than some of our other players.
 
The other thing I’ll say about Chook is that plenty are advertised as being able to ‘play both ends’ but very, very few can do it at both ends at such a high standard.

No fuss either, no pouting or foot stamping, you want him to stop Buddy for a half but then swing forward and kick 3 to win the game? All in a days work.
 
Mercurial89 said:
I like it when we get to hear from Hooker more, says a lot more than some of our other players.
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Zaka and Shiel are my favourites for interviews, Zaka in particular gets quite detailed.

Hooker and TBC should've kept doing their podcast :(
 
yodellinhank said:
Is the league so unprofessional that sides don't plan for the potential Hooker is shifted? Hey maybe we could name the team with players in different positions to the ones they actually line up in. We'll totally have opposition coaches bamboozled.
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I'm sure they do to some extent, it probably involved Patton or one of their other talls taking advantage of a mismatch up the other end of the ground though.
 
Lore said:
Zaka and Shiel are my favourites for interviews, Zaka in particular gets quite detailed.

Hooker and TBC should've kept doing their podcast :(
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Yeah the podcast thing the club has never quite gotten right. Either wrong mix or they just can it, or no continuity.
I like Shiel on RSN, great segment, but hasn't been as good this year.
 
can't believe he fishes for bream, delist
 
Lore said:
Zaka and Shiel are my favourites for interviews, Zaka in particular gets quite detailed.

Hooker and TBC should've kept doing their podcast :(
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Really enjoyed their podcast. Hard Tag I think? Was spewing when it didn't come back.
 
Mercurial89 said:
Yeah the podcast thing the club has never quite gotten right. Either wrong mix or they just can it, or no continuity.
I like Shiel on RSN, great segment, but hasn't been as good this year.
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I think like I said in another thread that the media strategy/timetable/personnel are a year to year thing, and I suspect the actual media department at the club is pretty poorly financed as well (as evidenced by high staff turnover). It seems to pick up a lot of new grads, students, ex-players and people who are at a loose end looking for a side gig who use it as a stepping stone before going on to bigger and better things.

Cooney and RoCo were both dropped in 2020 with COVID as well, which has made the Cooney/Zaka/Fantasia thing less of a thing, and it's also fallen off a cliff with the festival of footy stuff, the players don't seem to do many media appearances with condensed fixtures and pay cuts.

Under normal circumstances the players have to do a minimum number of appearances each year as part of the standard player contract and CBA, representing the AFL and their club, doing community stuff, school visits, media appearances on radio and television, etc. I would think in-house podcasting is as good as anything else.
 

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

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