The defender's stocks have risen since starring for Victoria Country against the Victorian Amateurs last month.

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Country coach Danny Frawley declared the 21-year-old was capable of playing AFL.

"I'm hoping to get drafted, but if I don't, I'll move to Melbourne for VFL," he said.

Under VFL rules, players sign for another 'home' club, where they can play if not required at State level on any weekend.

Cooper has already signed with Rovers for next season, but will pursue the higher honours.

"Rovers will be my second club," he said.

"I love Rovers, they have accommodated me and I reckon that's helped a lot, they're a great club with a good group of boys and support staff."

Meanwhile, the club has announced a one-year extension for coach Daryn Cresswell.

The former Sydney Swan best and fairest will now lead the Hawks until the end of 2021.

"It's fantastic news for us, obviously we're rapt with the improvement we've shown this year, coming from such a long way back to knocking on the door of finals, it's a good show of commitment from both ways," Hawks' football operations manager Barry Sullivan said.

Cooper has played under former Sydney Swans' players Rhyce Shaw, Jared Crouch and Michael O'Loughlin.

"He's up there with them," he said of Cresswell.

"Just his knowledge of the game and how well he implements the game plan, getting the boys to follow that style."

Rovers will look to likely finish their year on a high, hosting Yarrawonga on Saturday.

The Hawks snapped the league's third-longest losing streak when they toppled the Pigeons in round seven.

Yarrawonga had clocked up 23 straight wins.

In the highly unlikely event of fifth-placed Wodonga Raiders falling to North Albury, both the Hawks and Pigeons will miss finals.

But if the Hawks win, as expected, it will finish with nine wins, a marvellous achievement given they were winless last year.

That would match the improvement of finals-bound Myrtleford, which had four wins last season and will finish with 13, if it falls to Albury as expected.

"We want to finish nine-nine, play well and finish on a good note," Cooper said.