AFL Rising Star Jaeger O’Meara admits he’s feeling the nerves as he attempts to back up his stellar debut campaign.
The Gold Coast midfielder has bulked up impressively in the off-season, adding three kilos of muscle to his 185cm frame as he aims to avoid the dreaded second season blues.
O’Meara lived up to the considerable hype surrounding him with an impressive 2013, playing all 22 games for the Suns as the expansion club racked up eight wins.
The 19-year-old averaged 22 disposals a game and booted 16 goals on his way to earning the Suns their first Rising Star award.
But O’Meara knows he’s going to have to keep working if he’s to avoid being labelled a one-season wonder.
“Mentally I’m still a little bit nervous about my second year,” O’Meara said on Friday.
“People talk about second-year blues and I’m hell bent on improving on my first year and improving as a team.
“Hopefully we can do that.”
While none of the club’s coaches have talked to O’Meara specifically about his second-year ambitions and preparation it’s clear adding some physicality to his game is part of the agenda.
The athletic West Australian product is adamant his added bulk won’t hamper his running or otherwise when he gets onto the field.
“I wanted to put on a couple more kilos,” he said.
“I wanted to do it progressively and I’ve done that. It wasn’t too much to do with putting on size, it’s more about strength.
“I don’t think I’m too big. I’m only 85 kilos and I’m 185 centimetres tall so that’s what the strength and conditioning team have told me is good for me so that’s what I want to do.”
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