Jacob Hopper on Damien Hardwick’s Richmond exit, Adem Yze and injury frustration

Jacob Hopper says he loved his time under Damien Hardwick, but thinks his departure from Richmond was the right decision. He tells JON RALPH why.

MELBOURNE. 14/03/2023. AFL. Richmond training at Punt Road Oval. Damien Hardwick, Senior Coach of the Tigers chats with Jacob Hopper during todays session. Pic: Michael Klein

If Damien Hardwick didn’t leave Jacob Hopper at the altar their relationship barely got past the honeymoon stage before it was annulled.

For the brilliant ex-Giants midfielder, Hardwick’s shock decision to quit Richmond was only one of a number of setbacks in a debut season for the Tigers.

The club he pledged his future to until 2029 was distinctly mediocre as his former side Greater Western Sydney roared all the way to a preliminary final.

His debut season at Richmond was ruined by a litany of injuries that included achilles tendinitis, an associated calf tear, a late-season concussion and a bizarre leg injury that nearly had season-ending consequences.

As Hopper sits in Richmond’s Punt Rd Oval stands charting that tough initiation to a Victorian power club, he is reflective and sanguine about those challenges.

Jacob Hopper says he holds no grudges toward Damien Hardwick. Picture: Michael Klein

As he tells this masthead of the criticism, he could hardly complain about the lack of attention in western Sydney then bitch and moan when the scrutiny arrived.

Yet as Richmond prepares to take on former coach Hardwick on Saturday night, Hopper for the first time opens up about his mixed feelings about his departure.

Filthy Hardwick left Hopper and ex-Giants teammate Tim Taranto in the lurch after working so hard to lure them south?

No way.

And yet like all Richmond players, as Hardwick giddily announced his arrival in a Gold Coast polo shirt in August, Hopper couldn’t help a strange swirl of emotions.

Hopper says Adem Yze’s passion for Richmond is obvious. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“Dimma was an incredible coach and I loved the time I had with him, even though it was a very small amount of time. But shit happens as well. No doubt there was that natural human part of me. It was a bit like, ‘Come on mate, what happened here?’” he says of his reaction to Hardwick revelling in his new set of bright, flashy “new toys” at that press conference.

How could those left behind not feel like Woody and Jessie in the Toy Story movies?

“I just think because it was all new for me in terms of coming here and experiencing that with him. And it was all new and exciting to me. For sure there is a little part of me that’s like, ‘Righty-o. Good on you mate’,” Hopper said.

“But we were able to have really good conversations when he made the decision to leave. And it was on to business.

Jacob Hopper celebrates a goal in his first season as a Tiger. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“I appreciated the respect but I think there is still a little part of me that feels like, ‘Could he have kept trying to figure it out or find a way (through his burnout)?’ But his time was up.

“Some of it was personal and some of it he made clear (to the public) and ultimately you have to respect the decision. If he doesn’t really feel like he can be here fully, then as much as he’s a great coach you don’t want him here.

“Whereas with ‘Ooze’ (Adem Yze) coming in you feel like he’s a Richmond person. And you know every fibre of him wants to be here. So let’s get to work.”

What happened after Hardwick departed has cooled any resentment he might have felt and invigorated young and old players at Tigerland.

Hopper struggled with injury issues during his first campaign at Punt Road. Picture: Michael Klein

“I have experienced an interim coach coming in and it can be so disruptive and it can feel quite shit regardless of who takes over and with ‘Mini’ (Andrew McQualter) it didn’t feel like that,” says Hopper, whose Giants sacked Leon Cameron in mid-2022.

“And then ‘Ooze’ (Yze) has come in and the way he operates is a way I really connect with. When I was at the Giants a lot of people assumed he was going to get that job (instead of Adam Kingsley) and so it’s just funny how it panned out.”

The moment Yze was appointed, Hopper hit the phones searching for intel — “everyone knows everyone in this industry” — and former teammate Adam Tomlinson told him Yze was “positive, personal, approachable” and a great connector.

That mail certainly landed on every score and if Hopper is understandably a little miffed by Hardwick’s departure he and the players are all in on Yze.

Hopper has praised the impact of Yze and Chris Newman. Picture: Michael Klein

“Just the way he operates and the person he is, I have just really enjoyed this pre-season,” Hopper said.

“Even Chris Newman coming back (to Richmond) has been incredible. It’s great to create those relationships, but then we have just had a good period of time where everyone gets to work.”

Yze is determined to maximise Richmond’s potential stoppage dominance and play a forward half game instead of sweating on opposition turnovers as in the recent past.

Finally Hopper’s body is in a place to help that goal.

By round 11 last season as Richmond slumped to 15th on the ladder — with Hopper sidelined with a five-week calf issue — the Tigers looked to be handing over the No.4 draft pick as well as their 2022 No.31 pick in the Hopper trade.

He finished the season playing 16 solid but not exceptional games as Richmond slightly improved its ladder position and handed away a pick that became the No.8 selection (Adelaide’s Daniel Curtin).

Dustin Martin looks for a handpass from Hopper. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Relatively unflappable, he says it would be hypocritical to decry the attention he came to Richmond to attract in a footy stronghold.

“Yeah, it was different. But it comes with the territory. And it’s good to experience both,” he said of that scrutiny over him and the value of the Tigers’ trade.

“To be at a club in Sydney where you know footy isn’t at the forefront of everything, and then you come to a more traditional state where it is at the forefront, you have to accept it and embrace it. Sometimes you got frustrated with the lack of attention to footy in Sydney so you can’t get frustrated with too much attention. Like anything you have to find that balance.”

As it turned out Hopper and Richmond knew how banged up he was, from season-long achilles tendinitis to the round 2 injury that saw his leg twisted so badly the club scanned his knee, ankle and toe for damage.

“It was frustrating for sure. The tendinitis in the achilles is just something that is tough to have to manage,” he said.

“It was a constant thing through the year and ideally I would have loved it to be different but we feel like we are in a much better place this time around.

“There was the achilles and some calf issues associated with the achilles and then it could have been really nasty with my whole leg (against Adelaide). I think we avoided a really significant injury there. So it’s frustrating because the ideal year is to work and improve but when you feel like you are managing your body it becomes a mental struggle. So it’s just been good to come in and feel better and get to work.”

The GWS academy product, 27, has settled in Brighton with girlfriend Liv as he explores Melbourne’s rich culture, having grown up in Riverine town of Leeton and then boarded at Ballarat before moving to Sydney.

“I didn’t really know where to live and we got some advice from teammates,” he said.

“Some of it was poor and some was good. Dusty (Martin) was very biased, but we moved around a little bit last year to figure it out and which pocket suits. I am feeling more settled. We are in Brighton. It’s a bit frowned upon by outsiders but I love the feeling of coming in and getting among it. And then to be able to get away closer to the beach.

“Melbourne has that certain energy which I don’t reckon Sydney quite has. It has the beaches, but to get amongst it at the Australian Open was unreal and the GP is around the corner. I love all the sport, the music and the food is great. I love my coffee and I enjoy how everyone is loyal to their area and puts the big sell in and every pocket seems to have its own identity. In Sydney everyone goes to Bondi or Bronte but here there is a bit of everything.”

Originally published as Jacob Hopper on Damien Hardwick’s Richmond exit, Adem Yze and injury frustration