Cats prepare for Fremantle semi-final clash
AFL draft prospect Cooper Hodge has chosen to nominate Hawthorn under the father-son rule rather than Brisbane as a Lions Academy selection.
The son of four-time premiership champion Luke Hodge had the option to go either way but has settled on the Hawks, two months out from the national draft.
Cooper was just 10 when the Hodge family moved to Queensland in 2018, with Luke joining the Lions after 305 games at Hawthorn.
That meant he played effectively all of his junior footy in Queensland and came up through the Lions Academy from a young age.
But Hawthorn will have first access to him on draft night, where he is expected to be picked up with a late selection.
The Hawks will likely match a bid for the 18-year-old, provided it doesn’t come too early, as most expect.
Hawthorn released a statement on Monday welcoming the decision.
“Cooper Hodge, the son of former Hawks premiership captain Luke, has nominated Hawthorn as his preferred destination ahead of this year’s AFL draft,” the club wrote.
“The 18-year-old is eligible to join Hawthorn as a father-son selection following Luke’s 305-game career with the brown and gold.
“Hodge is no stranger to the Hawks, having spent the past two pre-seasons at Waverley Park and the Kennedy Community Centre training with the AFL side as part of the club’s father-son program.
“Based in Queensland, Hodge has been part of Brisbane Lions Academy during his development, which included playing eight games for the Lions as an underage prospect in the VFL.”
Luke played 41 games for the Lions in his final two seasons and was credited with fast-tracking the development and leadership qualities of the genesis of the Brisbane team which has gone on to become a two-time premiership powerhouse.
He had initially retired after his last game for Hawthorn in 2017 but was talked into playing by Lions coach Chris Fagan, who was Alastair Clarkson’s right-hand man during the Hawks’ premiership era in the mid-2010s, which Hodge captained.
Cooper had a strong national championships for the Allies and was pivotal in their only win of the carnival in the last round against Western Australia with 20 disposals.
He has had VFL experience with the Lions across the past two years and has looked comfortable at the level.
The youngster is an inside midfielder with a classy step and a willingness to tackle, but has some development to go before he can step into an AFL engine room.
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