Jaeger O’Meara has had a whirlwind week, from preparing to play out the final year of his contract at Hawthorn, to becoming a Fremantle player in the closing moments of the AFL trade period.
After attending the wedding of friend and GWS player Stephen Coniglio in Sydney, on Monday O’Meara was alerted to interest from the Giants to recruit him from the Hawks.
Several hours later, his manager rang him again and told him Fremantle was also keen on his services.
“It’s been a crazy few days for me and my family,” he said.
“I went to bed [Monday] night head racing, woke up the next morning, had to do a fair bit of due diligence and some thinking.
“It was actually really quick. It’s not often you only have 48 hours to decide what you’re doing with your life for the next four years, but here we are, and I’m really happy to be at Freo.”
A conversation with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell about whether he should pursue a trade made it clear his time at Hawthorn was over.
Tears for Hawks teammates, staff
“I guess for me, him not begging me to stay probably paints a little picture of where I was at and where I fit into that team,” O’Meara said.
“So I felt like that was a good sign that I should explore this option.
“I cried a little bit, because you’re leaving so many good people behind. And it came really abruptly for me. You don’t really get to say goodbye to all those people.
“I’ve got a lot of close friends inside and outside of footy in Melbourne that I have to say goodbye to, so it’s been a little bit bittersweet for me, but I woke up this morning, the sun was shining and it felt really good to be home.”
The pull to return to Western Australia, where the Dongara product played his junior football, proved to be the deciding factor.
But it was aided by the position Fremantle was in following a return to the AFL finals in 2022.
Finals, flags on O’Meara’s mind
“What particularly excited me about Freo is where they’re at. I think they’ve got a really good crack over the next couple of years at a premiership,” O’Meara said.
“I’ve played for 11 years, and I’ve played in one final [and] missed one with an injury. So I’m really eager to play finals … and I think this is the best place to do that.”
O’Meara’s battles with injury over his career have been well documented. After being taken with the first selection at the 2011 AFL mini-draft, the midfielder played 44 consecutive games from 2013.
But serious knee injuries ruled him out of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and he managed just six games at Hawthorn in 2017.
Since then, he has played 93 matches for the Hawks, and is confident his injury issues are behind him.
“I haven’t missed too many games over the last few years. I feel like my knees found a little groove if you like, and it’s in a really good spot,” O’Meara said.
“I’ve had a number of injuries over my career. I’m 28 years old, turning 29 next year, but I feel a lot younger than that.
“I’m really refreshed by [the move] and excited and can’t wait to get going. But I don’t think my body is an issue at all.”
How O’Meara, a big-bodied midfielder, will fit into the Fremantle side remains to be seen. The Dockers boast a midfield of Andrew Brayshaw, Will Brodie, Caleb Serong and James Aish, along with captain Nat Fyfe.
Recruit Luke Jackson has also been spoken about as a big midfielder.
What O’Meara does offer is elite skill. He could fit well into the spot vacated by the retired David Mundy, and will probably spend time in attack.
His recruitment suggests the Dockers are confident they have all the big rocks in place for a crack at a premiership, and are adding some high-quality depth to the squad.
Trade wrap and draft preview
In total, the Dockers moved out five players and brought in three, including Jackson, O’Meara and former Gold Coast forward Josh Corbett.
But all the wheeling and dealing comes with a cost. The Dockers won’t have a first-round selection at the draft this year or next year, after sending those picks to Melbourne in exchange for Jackson.
Fremantle will enter the 2022 draft with picks 30, 44 and 67. But the club will have a strong hand at the draft next year, collecting a haul of picks across the second, third and fourth rounds.
West Coast was less active in the trade period, bringing in Jayden Hunt from Melbourne while farewelling Junior Rioli, who joined Port Adelaide.
But the Eagles have a strong 2022 draft hand, after splitting their first round selection (number two overall) for picks eight and 12.
They also added several picks for next year’s draft.
West Coast enters the 2022 draft with picks eight, 12, 20, and 26.
Source: AFL NEWS ABC
