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

[Lore]

Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a

 

[Mercurial89]

Worst thing is we can't even go along to say farewell. Bloody Covid.

Club needs to organise round 1 next year something special.
Demand a home game round 1 and all fans to come down to see off others guys.
The lap, through the banner, everything. They deserve it.

 

[Dave]

Club needs to organise round 1 next year something special.
Demand a home game round 1 and all fans to come down to see off others guys.
The lap, through the banner, everything. They deserve it.

This.

 

[schmuttt]

As a neutral this sucks. Much like Jones with us hopefully next year at the first home game club legends like this can be given a farewell they deserve.

 

[Kettles]

Just a crying shame he didn’t gain the ultimate success in such a poor chapter of our proud club’s history. No fault of Hooker’s, he gave his all for the Red and Black. Thanks for everything.

 

[Ambrosia]

He literally locked himself in his house and turned his phone off so he wouldn't get traded and could continue his career at the club.


Us fans and the club did not deserve him.

Didnt he have to do it twice too? Knock back a trade that is not the whole phone turn off.

 

[Ambrosia]

Jeez he loved a clutch goal. Disappointed that we’ll never see him run out again.

 

[Bjchan13]

We knew it was coming but that doesnt make it any easier. There's no way to really say thank you for what he's given the club, which was absolutely everything he had since he arrived. A finals win in front of fans was the dream finish and he deserved it the most. 33 goals in his final season means he goes out on top. Do it for Chook now boys.

 

[Albertross]

"I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity the club has given me and I will leave the game at the end of the season knowing I left no stone unturned to give the club, my teammates and the fans everything I had," Hooker said.

"To have been part of something bigger than myself, something that is so important to so many people, has been such a privilege and an honour. Representing this jumper is something I will never take for granted.

"I love this football club and I just want to thank all my teammates, coaches, staff, volunteers and all the members and supporters who have been with me throughout this journey."

A truly great Essendon person. Thanks Chook.

 

[Bjchan13]

Didnt he have to do it twice too? Knock back a trade that is not the whole phone turn off.

He did it when we tried to ship him to GC for Caddy. He also then knocked back a huge offer from Ross Lyon to head home for 2017. Loyalty

 

[Wangawuti]

He is the ambassador of quan at the Bombers.

 

[Ambrosia]

He did it when we tried to ship him to GC for Caddy. He also then knocked back a huge offer from Ross Lyon to head home for 2017. Loyalty

I reckon there was another instance of us trying to trade him to Freo after the Caddy debacle.

 

[Vander18]

Far out.....this one hurts.

Life is a bastard sometimes.......just as we were building something special under Hird the saga struck. Now, as we are building again, age catches up and he misses out again. Not right.

 

[Bjchan13]

I reckon there was another instance of us trying to trade him to Freo after the Caddy debacle.

The way i remember it the only time we tried to trade him was to GC. The next time he chose to stay with us when Freo was chasing him

 

[Zach Package]

Special human, special player. Absolute pleasure to watch him play.

I’m going to continue to drive this train, the clubman of the year award should be renamed for him

 

[astrowizzle]

Words can't describe how this makes me feel.
Yes they can SAD

 

[Arctic fox]

Come home Chook. Then we can be together forever.

You just wanna drink his wine for free

 

[Harlequin Dream]

If we see success in the near future, he will be a major reason why.

His loyalty and leadership were crucial in the crisis.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Outside of the amazing moments on the field (including numerous match-winning goals), I think it's also worth remember that (if I recall correctly), he was the first of the banned players to re-sign and commit to the club long-term at a time when the whole world was crying mass exodus. Make no mistake, I think that was a huge show of faith, particularly when he had a juicy contract with Freo to go home and I reckon it started a snowball effect that may have flipped a few of the other guys back with him too.

Thanks for everything Cale, heart and soul.

“It just felt right to help the club rather than be a person to leave the club.

“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.”

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[pepsi]

“It just felt right to help the club rather than be a person to leave the club.

“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.”

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Seriously dead set Essendon legend

 

[Ati Tude]

Just a great servant of the club. One of those guys that tried to drag us a across the line and gave his all. Even this year, to have led our goal kicking for most of the year, when he was supposed to play in defence. Went out and lost some weight in last off season to give himself every chance of getting back in the seniors after being dropped at end of last year. Am sure he has been invaluable for the development of Wright and Jones that we have seen.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

“It just felt right to help the club rather than be a person to leave the club.

“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.”

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I wanna be your kid you big magnificent bastard.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

 

[Atavistic]

So... he plays this weekend and kicks the winning goal to get us into finals, right? Right?

 

[JT_the_Man]

I had to put this in here.



Gonna miss you Chook.

 

[BrunoV]

Hooker, Hurley and Jobe, in no particular order, are the ones that I really wanted to see at least be part of something which reflected their talents and standings, etc.

Hopefully Hooker can be the spark for the finals win that has eluded us to this point. That would be the only fitting end to his career at this point in time.

He's one of the defenders of his generation who we switched forward, to be a more than capable forward, at a point in his career when he would otherwise have been able to collect enough AA jumpers that would put his status beyond doubt (I think Hooker is better than McGovern, for example, and certainly belted him the few times they played on each other).

All reports are that Hooker was a heart and soul player. He was also an excellent key position player. He walks in to any Essendon team I have seen play.

For the records, I will reiterate that if he retained the speed he had (tested 2.88 in the 20m sprint and a 7.94 in the agility test at the 2007 draft combine) without the spate of hamstring injuries he suffered between 2008 and 2011 he would arguably have been the best defender we've seen in the last 30 years. We've never really seen the quick version of the 6'5 intercept and contested marking beast.