# Jacob Hopper

Jacob Hopper (born 6 February 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for Greater Western Sydney.

## Early life

Hopper was born in New South Wales and grew up in the small Riverina town of Leeton. He began playing football at the age of four with the Leeton-Whitton Crows where his father coached. He joined Greater Western Sydney's academy program at the age of 13 and regularly gained selection for NSW representative teams in the years that followed. He attended school at St Francis de Sales Regional College. At the age of 17, he began boarding at St Patrick's College, Ballarat while playing TAC Cup football for the North Ballarat Rebels.
He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the seventh overall selection in the 2015 national draft.

## AFL career

Hopper made his debut in round 8 of the 2016 AFL season, in a 91-point win against Gold Coast at Spotless Stadium. He was rewarded with a nomination for the 2016 AFL Rising Star, after he collected 32 disposals equaling the AFL record (since 1992) for most disposals made on debut (Brisbane Lion Bradd Dalziell's 32 in 2008 the previous highest). and nine clearances.
At the conclusion of the 2022 AFL season, Hopper requested a trade to Richmond. He was traded on 11 October.

## Statistics

    Statistics are correct to the end of Round 23 2022
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Votes |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | Votes |
| 2016 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 65 | 107 | 172 | 32 | 33 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 6.5 | 10.7 | 17.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 0 |
| 2017 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 89 | 133 | 222 | 35 | 73 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 6.9 | 10.2 | 17.1 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 0 |
| 2018 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 214 | 227 | 441 | 55 | 98 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 21.0 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 0 |
| 2019 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 23 | 10 | 11 | 303 | 296 | 599 | 73 | 95 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 13.2 | 12.9 | 26.0 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 1 |
| 2020 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 159 | 168 | 327 | 40 | 71 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 19.2 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 4 |
| 2021 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 311 | 296 | 607 | 72 | 88 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 13.5 | 12.9 | 26.4 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 15 |
| 2022 | Greater Western Sydney | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 57 | 78 | 135 | 20 | 21 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 8.1 | 11.1 | 19.2 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 0 |
| Career | Career | Career | 114 | 42 | 47 | 1198 | 1305 | 2503 | 327 | 479 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 10.5 | 11.4 | 21.9 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 20 |
Notes
* ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Honours and achievements

* Greater Western Sydney Giants Academy Player Of The Year: 2015
* 2016 AFL Rising Star: nominee
* Greater Western Sydney Giants Rising Star: 2016
* Brett Kirk Medal: 2019