For 14 years the Cats dangerous forward, Paul Chapman, has been entertaining and revving up the Geelong crowd with his compelling performances.
However it was always Chapman’s deep passion for the Cats that was most electrifying to watch.
There was never a moment where his head would bow or his enthusiasm would wane. He was a fierce competitor that everyone could rely on to re-light Geelong’s fire, when the pressure rose and the contest tightened.
“He’s very hard working and on the field he’s the guy who you want to get the ball to because he rarely misses a target, and he’s very highly skilled and knows the game very well,” James Podsiadly told Cats TV.
“Chappy is one of those guys that you’ll look back on and feel lucky that you got to play with him.”
In 2000 Chapman debuted against Collingwood in round 12, where he had five disposals, three tackles and three inside-50s. He played four games in his first year including the Elimination Final against the Hawks, which the Cats unfortunately lost by 9 points.
By 2002, at the young age of 20, he had secured a spot in the Cats forward line. In Round 3 against the Western Bulldogs, despite their defeat, Chapman was the Cat who turned heads. On this day he jumped from a career best of 14 touches to taking the second highest number of possessions with 26, which was only one touch behind David Clarke. On top of that he delivered seven inside-50s, four marks and three goals in a standout performance.
From there he progressed and developed into one of the most talented and talismanic forwards in the league.
“He’s probably got the best skills at the club and when you’re going into a big game you can always trust he’s going to have a good day,” Steve Johnson said.
Chapman, who helped to lead the Cats to three premierships, will not only be remembered for his large presence on the big stage but what he was able to achieve during his 251 games as a Cat. In 2006 he won the Carji Greeves medal, in 2009’s Grand Final he received the Norm Smith and he was named in the All-Australian side in both 2009 and 10.
Josh Hunt, who played along side Chappy for 13 years, says he was the type of teammate that would always stand by you, whether you were on or off the field.
“Chappy’s a great mate of mine, I could sit here and reel off all the good things and all the bad things about him, but he’s one of the most loyal blokes I’ve ever met. He wears his heart on his sleeve and if he doesn’t like something he’s the first to let you know,” Josh Hunt.
“If you were going to war he’d be one of the guys that you’d want in the bunker beside you that’s for sure.”
This year at the age of 31 and after 14 years on the field, Chapman was still able to pocket an average of 20 disposals a game, 4.2 tackles and 1.5 goals. But unfortunately his hamstring injury only allowed him to play eight games for the season.
Even though Chappy's chapter at the Geelong Cats has closed his passion and magic on the field will never be forgotten and the roar of the crowd will forever echo through the stands at Kardinia Park.
