Hopper was rested from all football by Greater Western Sydney (GWS) on the weekend and some back soreness has turned out to be a much more serious problem.

Hopper went for scans and they revealed a minor lumbar stress fracture in his back.

Giants Head of Athletic Performance David Joyce said they will take an extremely cautious approach to Hopper’s injury.

“Jacob had some discomfort in his back and due to the nature of the issue he underwent scans that revealed an incomplete stress injury,” Joyce said.

“This is disappointing news as Jacob has made a great start to his AFL career this season but due to his age and the stage of his career, we’ll be taking an aggressively cautious approach.

“We’re pleased that we caught the issue early and we are confident that with conservative management and rehabilitation, he’ll be back playing football later in the season." 

The injury comes just as Hopper had strung six straight games at AFL level after making his debut in round eight.

The 19-year-old made an immediate impression with a 32-disposal performance that earned him an immediate NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.

The injury will now make it hard for Hopper to make it back into the Giants team for finals.

Two Riverina footballers remain in the Giants team in Zac Williams and Matt Kennedy.

Williams has enjoyed his finest year to date, playing the last 13 games and averaging 22 disposals.

Kennedy had just six touches against Carlton last weekend.