By Najma Sambul
Richmond recruit Jacob Hopper has been given a tour of Tigerland by superstar teammate Dustin Martin as part of his welcome to the club, with the 25-year-old midfielder joining on a seven-year contract.
Hopper was traded from Greater Western Sydney along with picks 53 and 63 in exchange for picks 31 and a future first-round pick, and he said the deal made him feel as though he had been drafted all over again.
Former GWS player Jacob Hopper lands a seven-year contract with Richmond.Credit: Wayne Ludbey
“It was huge to get the call yesterday, just super pumped, feel like I’ve almost been drafted again, got those same kind of exciting feelings and just can’t wait to get started again,” Hopper said at Punt Rd on Wednesday.
“Dusty’s been brilliant, he was very good when I had my walkthrough ... I haven’t really spoken much to Dusty, so it was great to just hear from him.”
The former GWS player will be joining the powerhouse club with fellow ex-Giant Tim Taranto, with the pair likely to play the midfield together, and Hopper said the prospect made the trade even better.
“I think the opportunity to keep playing footy with Tim is massively appealing. I’ve loved playing footy with him, and we’ve built a real connection,” he said.
“We’re both pumped, we’ve been on the phone, chatting away. So it’s massively exciting.”
Hopper averaged 26 disposals, 3.8 tackles, and 4.3 inside 50s per game in 2021 at the Giants. He was also named in the All-Australian squad of 40 and nabbed 15 Brownlow Medal votes.
Hopper is contracted until 2029 and said he “always” wanted to sign a long-term contract with a club.
“I’m incredibly grateful for it, that there’s some serious belief in me, and I’ll back myself in every day of the week as well,” he said.
He had also been in talks with Geelong but had his sights set on becoming a Tiger, and had more time to consider his options this year.
“The year was challenging, not playing much and being injured. So, probably found myself with more time on my hands than usual [to think]. And it was something that was always in the back of my mind as well, to kind of get back closer to home,” he said.
Hopper has spoken with coach Damien Hardwick, describing the discussions as “awesome”. The midfielder began his AFL career at GWS after being drafted in 2015, and is looking forward to the change of a larger fan base.
“It’s been a great privilege to build and to contribute to growing a club in western Sydney ... I’ve had some games against the Tiger Army so to be on the other end of that is going to be pretty cool.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.