Hawthorn star Jaeger O’Meara has dismissed fears his recurring knee issues threaten to bring his AFL career to a premature end.
The 23-year-old didn’t play an AFL game in his last two seasons with Gold Coast after he ruptured a patella tendon then suffered several setbacks after corrective surgery.
O’Meara has played four games since joining the Hawks at the end of last season and is currently on the comeback trail after suffering bone bruising in his troublesome right knee.
But he said talk he is in danger of being forced into early retirement by the recurring issues is wide of the mark.
“I understand the panic – ‘Jaeger O’Meara’ and ‘knee’ – (it’s) obviously panic stations for everyone that doesn’t really know what’s going on,” O’Meara said on Channel Seven.
“But my scans are all good, which is the main thing. I’ve been scanned and they’ve all come up clear. I’ve got a little bit of stuff going on but nothing major (and) it’s nothing to do with my previous surgery.
“I’m really confident that once I’ve done this little conditioning block that will give me a launch pad for the rest of the year.
“I should be sweet.”
Coach Alastair Clarkson revealed O’Meara would need to complete a mini pre-season after pulling up sore from the round six loss to St Kilda.
O’Meara, who won the AFL’s rising star award in his debut season in 2013, played all 22 games in his first two seasons with the Suns.
DeanM
Guest
Dont mind Macca the 4415 days since Carlton have beaten Hawthorm burns deep.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Plenty of jobbers - like Nathan Ablett
Nineteen
Guest
Agreed. Both are still valuable and good contributors. Burton is learning a lot off Hodge.
Cat
Roar Guru
Having a premiership medallion doesn't make a player great, plenty of jobbers have them. Bulldogs overpaid for an average player who had one okay game and a whole lot more VFL quality games.
Birdman
Guest
Spot on Nev
mattyb
Guest
Gene/Samantha,are you referring to the premiership forward? The one GWS would rather have kept than the multiple rejects they were more than happy to do away with?
Macca
Guest
48 games in 4 and a half years is "making it"? And big call on the player yet to be drafted to say he won't make it. On top of that those 6 players don't have to make it to play more games than JOM combined - 40-50 games a piece and JOM won't catch them.
Don Freo
Guest
Nup...They won't make it. JOM has.
Macca
Guest
Don - There's 5 not 4 Long, Battle, Macreadie, Williamson and Kerr and that is before you add on the first round pick this year but I looking at what MacReadie and Williamson have put up for the blues so far the odds of JOM playing more than just those 2 is pretty long let alone the full 6. At the very least it is a risk.
Don Freo
Guest
Noooo...stop reminding us about Mora.
Don Freo
Guest
Those 4 together look like they might play less games tham JOM.
Nev
Guest
I wouldn't be surprised if Burgoyne played on for another year, the man is class and his game isn't built on explosive pace. Hodge may even play on, he is still performing. Gibson is gone.
Cat
Roar Guru
You mean like signing a 10 gamer to a 7million dollar contract just because your club hasn't been able to draft and develop its own key forward in years?
George
Guest
I have a feeling Hawks expected to make finals this year and still be able to attract free agents like previous years. Some harsh reality will hit Hawks this year after 3-4 true stars retire and top free agents will end up in other teams. A lot of holes to fill in. Players like Hodge, Mitchell - you basically can't replace them. Hawks still have one good thing going to them - fantastic coach.
George
Guest
JOM is enormous risk. Watching him at Suns and first couple of rounds this year, I believe his explosiveness is not was it was. Bashing in the midfield will not help his knees for sure. Let's see in 2 years JOM vs Bowes plus whoever Suns get for 2nd round pick this year. So far Suns leading on points.
Birdman
Guest
Look I don't pretend to know what Hawthorn's list strategy will be this year but free agency will feature as MIGHT more trading of future picks to get back into the 2017 draft which I understand is permissible.
Macca
Guest
Birdman - so we could be looking at somewhere between 5 and 8 list changes with your best draft pick being the blues second rounder (probably somewhere between 20 & 25 depending on academy bids) - tough gig.
Birdman
Guest
Willsmore and Heatherley I expect to be delisted - O'Rourke may get another season but his recurring injuries are more concerning to me than O'Meara at this stage. Langford and Schoenmakers are tradebait I think but I don't expect too much in return.
Macca
Guest
Birdman - I said at the time the hawks got a bargain in burton, I was really hoping he would end up at the blues (but I can't complain about who the blues got in 2015). You do have some talent around that are but assuming you lose your top 3 aged players (Burgoyne Hodge and Gibson) at years end do they also get rid of players like Heatherly, Willsmore & O'Rourke for example and end up having to find 6 or more players? And given the small number of 18 & 19 year olds on the primary list can you afford to take too many out of the 22-23 age range while losing players out the top?
Macca
Guest
Mattyb - Given the blues have taken 11 players in the last 2 drafts (8 of them playing in Saturdays game) and another player they brought to the club is a favourite for the rising star could you explain which drafting/trading decisions the blues have made that were questionable or desperate?