Gold Coast midfielder Jaeger O’Meara says he will consider his AFL future once he is fully recovered from his knee injury and back playing regular football.
The 21-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has been attracting strong interest from Victorian clubs, while his girlfriend is based in Melbourne, fuelling speculation he might leave the struggling Suns.
“My focus is purely on getting back to playing AFL footy. It’s something I’m really hungry to do – I haven’t done it for 10 months,” O’Meara told reporters on Thursday.
“Once I get back to playing consistent footy, then that thought process will come into my head.”
O’Meara, the 2013 winner of the Rising Star award, didn’t play one AFL game last year after dislocating his knee in a NEAFL practice match, requiring extensive surgery on his patella tendon.
That was after having previous surgery on both patella tendons following the 2014 season.
O’Meara said he was “not entirely sure” where the talk of a move to Melbourne had come from.
“I guess anyone that’s out of contract at the end of the year, there’s probably going to be speculation about that and, yes, my girlfriend does live in Melbourne, but she’s lived there the last three years and we’ve made it work,” he said.
“I’m really happy with where I’m placed, and I know the club is as well.
“I’ve been transparent and honest the whole way along with them and they’re happy with that.”
O’Meara remains on track for a potential round-one return, but is understandably reluctant to put a timeframe on his comeback from what is a rare injury in AFL terms.
“It was a pretty significant injury and one where there’s not too much information about in AFL,” he said.
“I don’t want to take any risks.
“It’ll be the 12-month mark in round one but, if I need an extra couple of weeks or if I need an extra month or two, I’m willing to take that to lengthen my career.”
mattyb
Guest
You really think you would need a good midfielder to replace Lewis?
johno
Guest
Can't see him coming back to WA, which is a shame. Will follow his girlfriend to Melbourne most likely. Gee I wonder which club needs a good young midfielder to replace ... oh I don't know..... Hodge, Lewis, Mitchell
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Spot on TomC
TomC
Roar Guru
Unfortunately I think both Queensland teams are in rather a lot of trouble, SF, but the Suns certainly have the on-field personnel to turn things around in a hurry. A successful 2016 is surely the most important factor in re-signing these guys. Most of the names I listed have re-signed before at least once, after all, so it's not like they are completely unwilling to play in Queensland. But the Suns need to make a compelling case that these guys can achieve everything they want out of their careers if they stay.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
in light of previous seasons when players like Ablett, Franklin, Frawley, Aish, Treloar etc didn't commit it is a worry that O'Meara hasn't signed. Hopefully he does but you can bet that every Melbourne based Club will be having a crack to secure him. The Suns have done plenty right since they appointed Eade including cleaning up the culture manifested under Bluey, appointing quality fitness staff, individualizing training programs and they are only a year away from operating out of Elite Training Facilities next door to their excellent Metricon Stadium. Even with all of the above and the benefit of living on the Gold Coast some players will still want to go to Melbourne. Hopefully O'Meara stays. A quality QClash in the next couple of years is in the making if the young kids on the Suns and Lions lists can develop the way that supporters hope.
Paul D
Roar Guru
O'Meara is gone. The Melbourne clubs will get in his ear, point to their superior medical departments, facilities, experience, and tell him that they'll look after his health and wellbeing better than those hicks north of Tweed. Add in the girlfriend and it's easy to see why he'll walk.
TomC
Roar Guru
I know there was an article in the HS last week saying Lynch was likely to re-sign, but I don't think it's actually happened yet. I stand to be corrected. I'm afraid I don't take O'Meara at his word, nor any player until they actually put pen to paper.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Lynch has already re-signed with the Club last month, the Suns know he is fully committed to the Club and immersed on the Gold Coast. Absolutely vital for the Suns to retain all of O'Meara, Prestia and Kolodjashnij. They lose one or more of those players then there is no way that this club pushes anywhere near a flag with this generation of players. While it is certainly a concern that O'Meara has not yet re-committed at this stage I can see where he is coming from about trying to play some good footy before entering negotiations for a new, possibly long term, lucrative contract. He has a rare injury and two other athletes that suffered the same injury (Chris Knights former Crows and Tigers player and Victor Cruz from the NFL) had continual and ongoing issues when they returned to the field. At this stage we can only take him on his word that he is very impressed with the Suns new coaching staff, the upcoming move into their high performance elite training facility at the Carrara Sports Preceinct and that he has specifically instructed his manager to not speak with any other clubs. Queensland footy needs to retain as much talent as they can so both the Lions and Suns can push for the eight.
TomC
Roar Guru
Yeah I agree Wilson.
Wilson
Roar Guru
I think the Sun have some tough choices to make this season but you would think O'Meara is the big one they would want to sign
TomC
Roar Guru
To state the obvious, if he wasn't thinking about leaving, he'd have re-signed. The Suns have a lot of players out of contract at the end of this year. They're unlikely to retain them all, and they have some interesting decisions to make about how much of their salary cap to commit to players like O'Meara, Prestia, Lynch and Kolodjashnij if they need to be paid over the odds to stay at the club. No doubt that also makes it difficult to know what to offer the likes of Wright, Lemmens, Nicholls and Saad, also out of contract, and David Swallow who no doubt they'd love to extend beyond 2017.