Former NRL player John Hopoate has been disgracefully omitted from Australia Day honours despite years of dedication to off-field scandals.
Hopoate was expected to be honoured for services to The Frownlow Medal but was shockingly overlooked even though he has just earned yet another nomination for the hall of fame.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes: the men’s and women’s National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while NRL star Ezra Mam is the most recent recipient.
The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame honours former players and players who received media attention in previous seasons, for similarly scandalous behaviour, and its inductees include Ben Cousins and Julian O’Neill.
Hopoate is famous for sticking his finger inside a player’s backside during a game of NRL, but has committed countless off-field scandals which earned him hall of fame nominations in 2016 and 2024, as well as induction in 2016.
His commitment to The Frownlow Medal is matched only by legends such as Cousins, and it is an absolute travesty that the National Australia Day Council did not even consider the former winger for an award.
Just after receiving his hall of fame nomination in 2024, Hopoate then received a life ban from Wests Tigers functions after an expletive-filled tirade at his former club’s 25-year anniversary dinner. He allegedly confronted NSWRL chief executive David Trodden, after the NSWRL refused to lift a 10-year ban that would have allowed him to play a local third grade match with his son, Will.
Hopoate reportedly said to Trodden: ‘Explain to me why I can’t play?’ David said a few times: ‘John, you know why you can’t play’. Hopoate kept going and Trodden said: ‘Now isn’t the time,’
Guests claim Hopoate called Trodden a ‘dog, c..t’. It was full on and disgusting. The function was full of people.”
Hopoate later said in his defence,
“There were no dramas, I just asked Dave Trodden why the NSWRL would not clear me to play.
“I never abused him, I never threatened him, and all he kept saying was ‘this is the wrong time.’
Hopoate’s 10-year ban relates to an incident at a Manly A-grade match between Narraweena and Forestville back in 2018, where he pleaded guilty to striking and contrary conduct that resulted in him receiving a five year suspension, with another five suspended on top of that.
Now, he has received yet another nomination.
Hopoate was hit with a recent traffic charge for allegedly driving his car with a disqualified license. He could face imprisonment if convicted, as he was caught driving while suspended while being investigated for supposed malicious activity on the road.
Video footage on social media showed the former premiership winner getting involved in a scuffle with another driver. It depicted Hopoate standing over the man involved, screaming at him and pointing the finger towards him.
Hopoate pleaded that he did not in fact cause the incident, commenting below the post on social media.
“When you’re (six-foot-eight) and think your size can intimidate anyone when you get out of your car and punch my mirror and swung at me during your road rage,”
The former international representative had been previously suspended from driving 13 times, as per traffic records displayed in court.
13 times
Just for driving offences.
Not to mention all of the other offences which earned him induction.
But he still wasn’t honoured on January 26.
What’s Albo doing about this? He’s a rugby league tragic. Is it because Hopoate played for Manly and not the Rabbitohs?
Hopoate played for New South Wales.
He played for Australia.
He has served The Frownlow Medal faithfully year after year.
It’s about time John Hopoate was honoured.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 