The AFL community is excited to turn its attention towards Cooper Hodge. He’s set to finally debut, and the highly anticipated debut will come this Saturday as he takes the field for the Brisbane Lions in the VFL. Cooper, son of AFL great Luke Hodge, has attracted interest from rivals Hawthorn and Brisbane. As he prepares to hopefully deserve nomination for next year’s AFL draft, so too are expectations.
At just 17 years old, Cooper is not only a member of Brisbane’s academy but has the opportunity to join Hawthorn as a father-son selection, given his father’s illustrious history with the club. Luke Hodge, renowned for playing over 300 games and captaining Hawthorn to a historic premiership three-peat, has been closely involved in his son’s football journey.
Most recently, Cooper Hodge attended Hawthorn training and was hosted by Jarryd Roughead, a longtime friend of his father. This bond has only increased excitement about his rumored move to the AFL.
As Luke Hodge recognizes, there will be a lot more eyes on his son’s blossoming career. He’s right, the best thing they can do is let Cooper just feel free to play the game without the weight of all these expectations.
“I 100 per cent understand (the level of interest in this), but the only thing is he’s a 16-year-old kid who has the flexibility or he’s been lucky enough to spend two days at Hawthorn.” – Luke Hodge
Luke noted that Cooper has been thriving in his football pursuits:
“So he’s been very fortunate and he’s really loving football at the moment.” – Luke Hodge
The young goal sneak’s eligibility to play in the VFL makes him an even bigger asset. He is doing an admirable job of steering through this important transition in his career. AFL fans have begun comparing young North Melbourne key forward Cooper’s career trajectory to that of Sydney star Nick Blakey. Nick’s dad, John Blakey, equally enjoyed an illustrious career in the AFL. Nick was drafted by Sydney with pick 10 in the 2018 draft.
The stage of his debut will be under the watchful eye, particularly with both Hawthorn and Brisbane eagerly watching how he goes. His VFL level participation is a testament to his talent. It gives him an envelope for greater growth opportunity, as he considers his options for next year’s draft.
