Cale Hooker

Cale Hooker (born 13 October 1988) is a professional Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Cale Hooker
Hooker playing for Essendon in 2018.
Personal information
Full name Cale Hooker
Date of birth (1988-10-13) 13 October 1988
Original team(s) East Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft No. 54, 2007 national draft
Height 198 cm (6 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight 103 kg (227 lb)[1]
Position(s) Defender / Forward
Club information
Current club Essendon
Number 26
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2008– Essendon 201 (89)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Hooker graduated from Applecross Senior High School and played for East Fremantle in the WAFL.

Hooker was drafted by the Essendon Football Club with pick 54 in the 2007 national draft and made his debut against the Western Bulldogs in round 21, 2008.[2]

In 2009 and 2010 Hooker established himself as one of the club's key-position defenders. In 2011 Hooker made a good start to the season but tore a hamstring in round 13 and played only one further game for the season. During the trade period after the 2012 season Essendon contemplated trading Hooker to the West Coast Eagles. However, Hooker, who had a year to run on his contract, declined to be traded.[3]

In 2014 Hooker was Essendon's most reliable backman, coming second in the W.S. Crichton Medal and winning All-Australian selection for the first time.

In 2015 Hooker was elevated to Essendon's Leadership Group. He started the year in defence but was switched to the forward line halfway through the season. He became a useful goal scorer and finished the season with 21 goals. He was awarded the W. S. Crichton Medal as Essendon's best and fairest.[4]

Hooker is noted for his marking ability and took in excess of 150 marks in each of 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Hooker, along with 33 other Essendon players, was found guilty of using a banned performance-enhancing substance, thymosin beta-4, as part of Essendon's sports supplements program during the 2012 season. He and his teammates were initially found not guilty in March 2015 by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal,[5] but a guilty verdict was returned in January 2016 after an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was suspended for two years which, with backdating, ended in November 2016; as a result, he served approximately fourteen months of his suspension and missed the entire 2016 AFL season.[6] The suspension sparked speculation that Hooker would leave Essendon as a free agent, but he signed a new five-year contract with Essendon in April 2016,[7] rejecting larger offers from several other clubs.

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of round 5, 2017.'[8]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2008 Essendon2620031720710.00.01.58.510.03.50.5
2009 Essendon2616337217324574530.20.24.510.815.34.63.3
2010 Essendon2618218117425571390.10.14.59.714.23.92.2
2011 Essendon261300999919866200.00.07.67.615.25.11.5
2012 Essendon26170214912527495280.00.18.87.416.15.61.6
2013 Essendon262220197198395151440.10.09.09.018.06.92.0
2014 Essendon262300240182422170350.00.010.47.918.47.41.5
2015 Essendon26222121235154389157490.70.910.77.217.87.42.3
2016 Essendon260[lower-alpha 1]——————————————
2017 Essendon26204126155139552571.80.67.04.011.05.01.4
Career 153 69 56 1111 1142 2253 816 276 0.3 0.2 8.1 8.3 16.3 5.9 2.0

Notes

  1. Missed 2016 AFL season due to suspension

References
  1. unnamed, unnamed (16 December 2015). "Senior List 26 Cale Hooker".
  2. Ralph, Jon (21 August 2008). "Essendon names first-gamer Cale Hooker for Bulldogs clash".
  3. Twomey, Callum (25 May 2013). "Trade rejection spurs Hooker to great heights".
  4. Twomey, Callum (16 September 2015). "Swingman Hooker's versatility rewarded with Crichton Medal win". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  5. Twomey, Callum (31 March 2015). "Thirty-four present and former Bombers cleared of all drug charges". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  6. Travis King (12 January 2016). "Guilty: court bans the Essendon 34 for 2016". Australian Football League. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  7. Nick Bowen (27 April 2016). "Another Don Deal". Australian Football League. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  8. "Cale Hooker". AFL Tables. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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