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Former Brisbane and Hawthorn star Rhan Hooper has tragically ‘lost everything’ in a devastating house fire last week.
A GoFundMe page, started by Tiarnie Cooper, has been established to support the 37-year-old and his family.
‘Hi my name is Tia! Penny and Rhan tragically lost everything in a house fire yesterday,’ the page, which was started on Saturday, reads.
‘I’m trying to raise money to help them get back on their feet.’
Hooper was born in Charleville in Queensland and would go on to play rugby league at junior level.
The 37-year-old would later switch to playing Aussie rules football when he moved to Victoria and began playing for the Dandenong Stingrays before being drafted to the Lions in the 2005 National Draft, as pick No 41.
Former Brisbane and Hawthorn star Rhan Hooper (left with NRL great Cameron Smith) has tragically ‘lost everything’ in a devastating house fire last week
Hooper enjoyed a four-year career in footy’s top-flight, leaving Brisbane in 2009, before joining up with Hawthorn
Hooper enjoyed a four-year career in footy’s top-flight, leaving Brisbane in 2009, before joining up with Hawthorn.
He’d play for the Hawks for a season before opting to move back to Queensland to be with his family.
He’d later switch back and forth from rugby league to Aussie rules, signing for the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Rugby League competition in 2012, before going back to AFL later on in his career.
At the time of writing, $6,835 has been donated to the fundraiser.
After hanging up his boots, the small forward, who booted 56 goals across 54 AFL appearances for the Hawks and the Lions, has gone on to become a cultural educator.
He also creates murals and pieces of art, inspired by Indigenous culture and heritage.
