Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Graham Cooper

Known as
Graham Cooper

Born
24 April 1938

Died
13 December 2019 (aged 81)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 21y 43d
Last game: 26y 358d

Height and weight
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 85 kg

Senior clubs
Hawthorn

Jumper numbers
Hawthorn: 51, 10

Family links
Ian Cooper (Brother)

Graham Cooper

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
HawthornV/AFL1959-19659060.0766%8.672.503.337
Total1959-19659060.0766%8.672.503.337

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 7,048th player to appear, 2,674th most games played, 5,943rd most goals kickedHawthorn: 498th player to appear, 165th most games played, 425th most goals kicked

Older brother of St Kilda’s Ian Cooper (profiled below) Graham Cooper was a solid and reliable defender and occasional ruckman whose 90 VFL games for Hawthorn from 1959 to 1965 included the grand final triumph against Footscray in 1961, when he lined up in a back pocket. Two years later he occupied the same position in the Hawks’ losing grand final clash with Geelong.

After just one game of the 1965 season Cooper departed the VFL scene to take up the role of captain-coach of Murray Football League side Jerilderie. In 1969 he returned to Melbourne to assume the captain-coaching reins at VFA first division team Oakleigh. His two season stint saw the Devils struggling and only narrowly avoiding relegation to second division.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.