The leader amongst a Tom Mitchell-less Hawthorn midfield, Jaeger O'Meara stepped up his performances in 2019. Enjoying a career high in disposals and the 11th highest clearance average across the competition, he reached 30 or more disposals in four of the first eight fixtures. Struggling with the tag thereafter, the 2013 Rising Star provided just one further 30-disposal game. Playing a mere six games from 2015-2017, O'Meara has played in 94% of fixtures over the previous two campaigns, a demonstration that he's overcoming his injury riddled body. However, he is completing a personalised program as part of the ongoing management. Entering the peak footballing years and with the return of Mitchell likely to ease the tagging burden, take O'Meara in the early-mid rounds.
JOM becomes dependable
The leader amongst a Tom Mitchell-less Hawthorn midfield, Jaeger O'Meara stepped up his performances in 2019. Enjoying a career high in disposals and the 11th highest clearance average across the competition, he reached 30 or more disposals in four of the first eight fixtures. Struggling with the tag thereafter, the 2013 Rising Star provided just one further 30-disposal game. Playing a mere six games from 2015-2017, O'Meara has played in 94% of fixtures over the previous two campaigns, a demonstration that he's overcoming his injury riddled body. However, he is completing a personalised program as part of the ongoing management. Entering the peak footballing years and with the return of Mitchell likely to ease the tagging burden, take O'Meara in the early-mid rounds.
Jaeger O'Meara has defied most pundit predictions by playing every game so far after missing round 1. His form in those games has been spotty at best, with only two scores above the midfielder baseline in draft competitions, so if you drafted him with a late pick you'd be happy with his fitness and stamina but still wondering what all that running is achieving, because he doesn't get much of the ball on the end of all that workrate. His first fantasy ton of the campaign two weeks ago was followed by a season low of eight touches, underlining how tough a start he is.
JOM jumps for joy
After two years on the sidelines, Jaeger O'Meara demonstrated he can still produce a full season of football at the elite level. Having played six of the previous 66, he suited up for 20 of 24 and became more comfortable with the elite level as the season continued, increasing disposals, tackles and goals markedly during the second half of the campaign. Perhaps ominously, he missed finals with a knock to one of his fragile knees. Enjoying a full preseason without hiccup, the onballer will now be tasked with leading the midfield group after the leg break to Tom Mitchell. Improving with continuity, it remains to be seen what O’Meara is capable of at his peak. Catching up on missed development time, the Hawks will rely on him to take another step up in his production and this bodes well for his fantasy scoring. If available in middle rounds, he may prove a bargain.
Jaeger is a ticking bomb
The Hawks' most significant gamble during Alastair Clarkson’s reign, Jaeger O’Meara failed to fulfil the promise as he struggled once more to overcome the patella injury that has plagued his career. Now with 50 games of experience, the ex-Sun played his first senior matches since 2014. His playing ability was still clear for all to see with 36 disposals in the second week of the season, but knee soreness put him out for all but one match between rounds 4 and 22. JOM was an gamble last year, and if you took the plunge you lost your shirt... as he seems to do so often in those preseason photos. Fit and firing in this preseason, the Hawthorn fitness staff will earn their salaries if they manage to keep their prized recruit out on the park. The bar for a successful season could be as low as 15 games as his knee grows used to the toll. Due to fitness concerns, he should only be taken as a speculative gamble in the latter stages of the draft.
