2013 Player Profiles: Jaeger O'Meara

[Kellogscrunchynut]

Whats not to love he is an accumulator, a hard nut and has the same name as my favourite spirit.

[henry]

Definitely locked for me too, nice write up. Not sure about Crouch though, I reckon he may struggle to get games in an Adelaide midfield boasting Thompson, Dangerfield, Wright, Sloane, Vince and Van Berlo.

[Adamant]

Locked in for sure. Being rookie priced is a steal.

[Justin Bieber]

The surgery is a worry though :/

[The It]

The surgery is a worry though :/

Hes still getting a full preseason i thought.

He'll be right mate  ;)

[Holz]

The surgery is a worry though :/

alot of the super guns are having surgery too and he had his early to get him fit for round 1.

[quinny88]

He looks ready made for AFL football. Definite lock

[Jroo]

He looks ready made for AFL football. Definite lock

+ absolute lock n your midfield. Handy that his only $100k!

[Shihan7]

Definitely locked in for me 8)

[Mr.Craig]

Good new article at AFL.com -

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/151275/default.aspx

Marcus Ashcroft: "All we can be confident in is we know he is prepared mentally and physically and we know he is itching to get out there to play so what that translates to out there on the field we're not quite sure. He is a very level headed young man. I think he has got high expectations of himself but also realistic ones at the same time. I think you'll see him going out next year pretty confident in his ability to play senior footy but also realistic that playing AFL footy is a tough caper. He knows that but he is well prepared."

[Toga]

Good new article at AFL.com -

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/151275/default.aspx

Marcus Ashcroft: "All we can be confident in is we know he is prepared mentally and physically and we know he is itching to get out there to play so what that translates to out there on the field we're not quite sure. He is a very level headed young man. I think he has got high expectations of himself but also realistic ones at the same time. I think you'll see him going out next year pretty confident in his ability to play senior footy but also realistic that playing AFL footy is a tough caper. He knows that but he is well prepared."

good find craigy! definitely looked in my team 100%

[Toga]

Jaeger expected to be in the Suns team in round 1:

Groin injuries and a hernia operation hampered his progress but Clayton said O'Meara was back to full fitness and beginning to bulk up ahead of a likely AFL debut against St Kilda in round one next year.

Source: Jaeger is the master (AFL.com)

[strikes91]

Will likely be the most picked rookie

Or most picked player.

yep this.

going to be a good year with the younger players

[Football Factory]

Another article on O'Meara

Gold Coast youngster Jaeger O'Meara targets Round 1 debut





HE'S like a Christmas present that has sat under a tree for a year before it could be opened.



Jaeger O'Meara has become part of the furniture at Metricon Stadium over the past year, but it wasn't until he joined his Suns teammates for the first training session of 2013 yesterday that he was pressing for selection.

O'Meara was pre-listed by the Gold Coast as a 17-year-old at the end of 2011 in the GWS mini-draft but was ineligible to play until this season.

Had the Suns not chosen to give up the fourth pick in that draft to the Giants to warehouse him for 12 months, the West Australian midfielder would have been forced to wait for the 2012 draft when he would have most likely been the first name called.

But unlike Lachie Whitfield, who GWS made the No.1 pick last year, O'Meara has already completed two pre-seasons and played NAB Cup after receiving a special allowance by the AFL for last year's pre-season tournament.

So even though he is the same age as this year's intake, he turns 19 on the day the Suns begin the NAB Cup against Hawthorn and Brisbane, the expectations are he will play seniors often.

O'Meara has shouldered expectations ever since he was called the next Chris Judd as a 16-year-old and booted four goals in an impressive WAFL debut.

"I think that is more external pressure," he said.

"But having said that I do like a bit of pressure, I like feeling like I have to perform."

He never considered trading the experience of joining the AFL a year early for another 12 months of anonymity.

He stacked on an extra 7kg of muscle to an already impressive physique and had surgery to correct a chronic groin injury.

"Coming a year early really helped me focus on my development as a footballer," he said.

"I've been able to just concentrate on getting my body ready and have definitely benefited from being exposed to an elite environment.

"I am very grateful for that."

Suns coach Guy McKenna has been spoilt by elite teenage talent in his first two season as an AFL coach, but admits he spent the past year wishing he could select O'Meara and says there is no doubt he is ready to go.

"He certainly doesn't look his age, he looks like a man ready to play football," he said.

"He has done everything he can to give himself every chance to play Round 1"


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/gold-coast-youngster-jaeger-omeara-targets-round-1-debut/story-e6frf9jf-1226549154064

[Toga]

Look at his arms! :o