More than a year before his possible AFL debut, exciting Gold Coast teenager Jaeger O’Meara will celebrate his birthday by playing his first top-level pre-season match on Saturday.
O’Meara, who turns 18 on Thursday, is too young to play in the AFL this year.
But he has been given special dispensation to play with the Suns in their NAB Cup pre-season triple-header on Saturday night against Brisbane and Melbourne.
The Suns were so keen to get O’Meara, they gave their No.4 national draft pick to Greater Western Sydney, with the Giants having the rights to trade a select group of 17-year-olds to other clubs under their expansion concessions.
While AFL recruiters have likened him to a young Chris Judd, O’Meara shrugged off comparisons with the two-time Brownlow Medallist, saying he ignored the media hype as much as possible.
“I don’t like to look into it at all. I don’t like to read the papers,” he told reporters after training on Wednesday.
But he admitted being excited about the prospect of playing with one of his heroes, skipper Gary Ablett.
“I’ve looked up to him most of my life so I’m definitely excited to play alongside him,” he said.
O’Meara and Adelaide’s Brad Crouch, also recruited at 17 under the same rule, are the only two players eligible for this year’s pre-season competition, but unable to play in the home-and-away season until next year.
But O’Meara said that will at least allow him to ease into an AFL career in low-pressure style this year.
“I’ll just be looking at injury management and getting my body right for 2013 and I think I’ll be going home a fair bit as well,” the West Australian said.
“I’ll be playing in the seconds in a range of different positions and working alongside (assistant coach) Shaun Hart, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Matthew Warnock, who was traded to Gold Coast by the Demons in October, says he’s impressed by O’Meara’s dedication and attitude.
“He’s in pretty good shape and he trains really well.
“It’s a pity people won’t be able to see him this year because he’s so young but I think he’s going to be a pretty good player.”
But he thinks comparing the youngster to people like Judd and Ablett is unfair.
“You’ve just got to let him go and do his own thing and show everyone what sort of player he is.”
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