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The 37-year-old and his young family have turned to Queensland locals for support to get them back on their feet after revealing they lost all their belongings in the blaze. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. “Hi my name is Tia! Penny and Rhan tragically lost everything in a house fire yesterday,” the family’s GoFundMe page reads. “I’m trying to raise money to help them get back on their feet.” At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised more than $8,000. The former Brisbane and Hawthorn player played 54 AFL games, kicking 56 goals between 2006 and 2009. He is also a beloved Queensland local who is still a regular around both the local rugby league and Aussie rules scenes. And the local community has rallied around his family after the house fire. “So sorry to hear, sending our love,” one commented on a post sharing the GoFundMe page on social media. “I’m devastated for you and your amazing little fam!!” another said. “This is devastating news I just received, so I’m sharing so we can help him out! Even if you can’t donate, please share! Would mean so much to Rhan and his family,” a third wrote. Hooper had not just a successful Aussie rules career but also tried his hand at rugby league. He was born in Charleville in Queensland, and was a talented rugby league player at the junior level. He would later switch to playing Aussie rules football when he moved to Victoria. After playing for the Dandenong Stingrays, he was drafted to the Lions in the 2005 Draft, as pick No. 41. He played three years for Brisbane before joining Hawthorn ahead of the 2009 season. Hooper would ultimately return to Brisbane a year later for family reasons before trying his hand again in the 13-man game in 2012, signing with the Ipswich Jets in the Queensland Rugby League competition. He would go back and forth between the two codes in the years that followed.
