Past Rhan Hooper (2006-2009)

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Re: Rhan Hooper

Chasing the Dream said:
Was anyone else there watching the Suncoast Lions yesterday?

He was very good. Defensive pressure was excellent and he seemed to be running into some very good form indeed.

Good signs.
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That's really good news. I look forward to seeing Hoops play again.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Chasing the Dream said:
Was anyone else there watching the Suncoast Lions yesterday?

He was very good. Defensive pressure was excellent and he seemed to be running into some very good form indeed.

Good signs.
Click to expand...

Liked what I saw also - apart from his pace, there was a couple of occasions where a bigger bodied opponent tried to "check" him and he just rode the bumps and carried on without losing stride.
Hope he keeps it together - having his pace available will be a big asset later in the season (dare I say it.....in September).
 

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Re: Rhan Hooper

Link

Matthews rules out picking Rhan Hooper

May 28, 2007 - 7:20PM

Fresh legs are required by the Brisbane Lions - but coach Leigh Matthews has all but ruled out picking runaway Rhan Hooper.
In fact the goalsneak will find it hard to break back into the Lions' senior side at all this season after burning bridges by going AWOL in the pre-season.
Hooper, 19, ended two months in the AFL wilderness when he finally overcame personal issues and returned to Lions training at Brisbane in February.
He was fined $7,000 but given a chance to resurrect his 11-game senior career following reconciliation talks with Matthews and football manager Graeme Allan.
But Matthews all but ruled out Hooper playing this year despite admitting the Lions needed fresh legs after last weekend's loss to Collingwood - their third straight defeat.
"If you look at the general run of the team ... we just didn't quite match them (Pies) - we are not great in that area currently," Matthews said.
"There was a lot of changes last week, we went with a little bit more grunt with the team - we got that performance but the legs weren't so good."
But when asked about picking livewire Hooper, Matthews said: "He's available for selection but he handicapped himself severely.
"He's suffering from the fact that he had two months away from preparation.
"It's probably going to wreck his whole year.
"He's missed two months training. It's going to impact on your whole year.
"But he's back within the group, he's been training for a few months, he's played a few (reserves) games and he's available for selection."
Matthews said Brisbane lacked a power runner and did not believe Hooper could provide it.
"Rhan is quick but he's not a fantastic runner," he said.
"He's got a burst of speed - power running is a combination of endurance and speed."
Matthews also played down the fact Hooper had to overcome off-field issues before returning to the Lions.
"He didn't have to overcome anything. He had to decide `do I want to play or don't I want to play'," he said.
"It took him a couple of months to decide `I want to be around'."
In contrast to Hooper, young Irishman Colm Begley appears set to return against Richmond at Telstra Dome on Saturday night after impressing in the reserves.
"He went back to the reserves, didn't sulk, went back with a fantastic determined attitude," Matthews said.
"That's why we have a lot of faith in that kid.
"He was left out, knew what he had to do and most probably will come back in."
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hooperaj7.jpg
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

I really rate Hooper highly, i regard him as a hard crumber, he hits packs at full pace and takes the ball with him and either kicks a goal or sets one up. Hooper has great defensive skills as well, like McGrath, Hooper would benefit by playing next to Brown and now Clark.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Will be intresting to see how far away he is from senior selection, would be good to have him up there crumbing around Clark and Brown.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Hooper has been going alright in the Ressies but nothing that demands senior selection by any measure.

Yeah he chases hard and tackles but so does pretty much every Lions player in the ressies desperate to get the nod.

Schmidt, Leuenberger, J MacDonald, Allan, Begley and Hawksley would all be ahead of him at the moment I reckon, even when you remove the doghouse factor.
 

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Re: Rhan Hooper

Link (warning - Afl.com link)

Hooper earns shock recall for Lions

7:46 PM Thu 31 May, 2007
By Laine Clark



News

Days after claiming Rhan Hooper had "wrecked" his whole year by going AWOL in the pre-season, Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews has given the exciting youngster an unexpected second chance.
Hooper, 19, capped a stunning AFL return when he was one of five new faces named in the Lions team to tackle a desperate Richmond at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

Matthews appeared to have crossed Hooper's name out for 2007 after the goalsneak left Lions pre-season training for two months.

He was fined $7,000 but given a chance to resurrect his 11-game senior career following reconciliation talks with Matthews and football manager Graeme Allan when he returned to Lions training in February after overcoming personal issues.

Asked this week of Hooper's selection chances, Matthews said: "He's available for selection but he handicapped himself severely.

"He had two months away from preparation - it's probably going to wreck his whole year."

But Hooper earned an AFL nod along with co-captain Chris Johnson - back from a foot injury - as well as Jared Brennan, Colm Begley and 18-year-old debutant Chris Schmidt of West Adelaide.
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hooperks9.jpg
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Grimreepah said:
Link (warning - Afl.com link)



61n2fbp.jpg
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I am starting to suspect that Leigh knew what he was doing all along. This puts alot of pressure on Rhan to perform. He'll have to play out of his skin.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

TheBrownDog said:
I am starting to suspect that Leigh knew what he was doing all along. This puts alot of pressure on Rhan to perform. He'll have to play out of his skin.
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Maybe he wanted to see how he responded.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Leigh definitely knew what he was doing when he made those public statements about Rhan 'wrecking his whole year.' Hopefully, Rhan plays his guts out this week (if he makes it on the pitch). What a surprising headline - could have easily been part of the fantasy 'headlines you'd like to see' thread.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Any chance on Hooper getting a Rising Star nomination (I love to get in pre-maturely on these kind of things, did it with Clark, so now it is Hoopers turn)?

He has 3 games to prove it, if he plays all 3, I expect he'll run and tackle until he can do no more. It'll be great if he can slot through a couple (I fondly rememer him kicking 4 goals at the TD, hope he can replicate this).

I think alot of will rely on Hooper's ability to crumb from the predictable double-teaming of Brown (We're playing Richmond, don't forget), to set up Johnson, Patfull or Clark. :eek:

May he play a ripper of a game, but don't steal the spot light from Shermo's 50th! ;) Or...Schnozz's debut! :p
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Sherminator. said:
Any chance on Hooper getting a Rising Star nomination (I love to get in pre-maturely on these kind of things, did it with Clark, so now it is Hoopers turn)?
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He played 11 games last year which I believe makes him ineligible.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Good to see him back in has to work hard after the drama's of the summer am lookin gforward to seeing him in action on Saturday night extra crumber around Browny will be good to have:thumbsu:
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

TheBrownDog said:
Hooper has been going alright in the Ressies but nothing that demands senior selection by any measure.

Yeah he chases hard and tackles but so does pretty much every Lions player in the ressies desperate to get the nod.

Schmidt, Leuenberger, J MacDonald, Allan, Begley and Hawksley would all be ahead of him at the moment I reckon, even when you remove the doghouse factor.
Click to expand...

Wow, kind of embarassing, but I suspect many were thinking along similar lines.

TheBrownDog said:
I am starting to suspect that Leigh knew what he was doing all along. This puts alot of pressure on Rhan to perform. He'll have to play out of his skin.
Click to expand...

...

What a difference a few days make.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

Homer Jnr said:
Wow, kind of embarassing, but I suspect many were thinking along similar lines.



...

What a difference a few days make.
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I still don't think his Ressies performances have demanded senior selection. Nothing has changed.
 
Re: Rhan Hooper

TheBrownDog said:
I still don't think his Ressies performances have demanded senior selection. Nothing has changed.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, I'm from the school of thought that we need to try a few different things given the run of losses we are in and this can't hurt, but you've seen more ressies games than I this season, thus your opinion.

There a few theories abound as to why he has been selected, but regardless, I just hope the lad goes out and performs for us.

The door is open for him to earn back some confidence from supporters and the coaching staff, lets hope he makes the most of it.
 

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Past Rhan Hooper (2006-2009)

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