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 withfellow 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.