Australian Football

Chelsea product and former Victorian Teal Cup skipper Paul Hopgood was a tough, tenacious defender who was sometimes let down by poor disposal skills. He commenced with Melbourne in the under nineteens and gradually worked his way up through the ranks. He was a member of Melbourne's losing reserves grand final team in 1992 and made his senior debut the following year. More positively, when shifted to the midfield he was capable of breaking up opposition forward forays with his relentless attack on both player and ball, thereby often enabling team mates to obtain possession and mount counter attacks.

Hopgood's career with the Dees saw him play 113 AFL games and kick 10 goals between 1993 and 2000. His career came to an end in a highly frustrating and disappointing way when he missed selection in Melbourne's grand final team to face Essendon despite having recovered from the calf injury which had seen him sidelined for the first half of the season. The Bombers emphatically won the match, and while a fit and focused Hopgood would not have altered the result it might, just conceivably, have helped reduce the deficit. Be that as it may, he was de-listed at the end of the 2000 season.

Paul Hopgood later coached Mt Eliza to a premiership in 2005.

Author - John Devaney