Hopper along at the right time

JACOB Hopper has had to deal with more than his fair share of injuries and ailments in his first two years in the AFL.

A serious heart condition that required pre-season surgery was just the start of it.

Throw in a badly broken finger, a lower-back stress fracture and a nasty ankle injury and the result is just 19 games of a possible 43 so far.

But his return to action three weeks ago against Melbourne has been a huge boost to the Giants ahead of tonight’s clash with Geelong and an impending finals campaign.

It’s no coincidence that Hopper’s inclusion along with Steve Coniglio’s has seen superstar in the making Josh Kelly produce the best performance of his career when he picked up 43 possessions against West Coast last week.

When Coniglio and Hopper were sitting on the sidelines for most of this year Kelly and fellow midfield gun Dylan Shiel were forced to take on the heavy lifting in the engine room. They were both well and truly up to the job in the department of contested football, but can now operate on the outside where they are at their best and can cut teams to pieces.

“The boys have taken on a big load and now it’s time for me to take to take on my fair share,” Hopper said. “It allows Dylan and Josh to play their natural game. We all lean on each other in terms of the different roles we play.”

The 20-year-old would have liked more time in the middle, but he’s following the old adage what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

“It’s made me more resilient,” Hopper said. “I’ve had my fair share of injuries over my career. I’ve leant on the people I rely on and put my head down and worked hard. You also have to stay positive around the boys and the group. Nothing has quite gone to plan so far but that’s how footy is sometimes.”