Jaeger O'Meara | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Jaeger O'Meara | ||
Date of birth | 23 February 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Perth, Western Australia | ||
Original team(s) | Perth (WAFL) | ||
Draft | No. 1, 2011 mini-draft | ||
Debut | Round 1, 2013, Gold Coast vs. St Kilda, at Metricon Stadium | ||
Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder/Wingman | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | Fremantle | ||
Number | 2 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2012–2016 | Gold Coast | 44 (27) | |
2017–2022 | Hawthorn | 99 (43) | |
2023– | Fremantle | 43 (15) | |
Total | 186 (85) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024. | |||
Career highlights | |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Jaeger O'Meara (born 23 February 1994) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Gold Coast Suns from 2013 to 2016, and the Hawthorn Football Club from 2017 to 2022. O'Meara won the AFL Rising Star award in his first season in 2013.
O'Meara was born in Perth, Western Australia [1] to parents Non [2] and Wayne. [3] His parents moved to Dongara where his grandparents had a hotel and played junior football with the Dongara Eagles. [1]
He studied at Nagle Catholic College in Geraldton. [4] O'Meara began playing senior football for Railways Football Club in the Great Northern Football League. He competed for the Railways senior team in their 2010 GNFL Grand Final win and lined up on future Gold Coast Suns teammate Jack Martin. He was awarded the Guardian Medal for his best on ground performance at 16 years of age. [5] O'Meara was then recruited by the Perth Football Club for the 2011 WAFL season and made his senior debut in August.
O'Meara was recruited by Gold Coast with the first selection in the 2011 mini draft, a special draft of players who were too young to be eligible for selection in the main 2011 AFL Draft. Gold Coast obtained the first selection in the mini draft by trading their first selection, the fourth overall, to the new Greater Western Sydney team. [6]
As part of the mini-draft rules, O'Meara was unable to play for the Gold Coast Suns in the 2012 season, but did play for them in the 2012 NAB Cup preseason competition and then with the reserve team in the North East Australian Football League. [7] He underwent groin surgery that prevented him from playing for the rest of the season. [8]
O'Meara made his debut in the opening round of the 2013 AFL season and was rewarded with the round 5 nomination for the 2013 AFL Rising Star after recording 25 disposals, five marks, four tackles and two goals in the forty-four point win against Greater Western Sydney. [9] He re-signed with the Suns for a further two seasons midway during the year. [10] After playing every game for the Suns during his debut season, he was subsequently named the NAB AFL Rising Star for 2013. [11] Since making his debut in 2013, O'Meara did not miss a game in 2013 and 2014, playing all possible 44 games during that period.
He had an unfortunate start to the 2015 season, as he injured his knee in a NEAFL scratch match that required extensive surgery. [12] More surgery was required for his patella tendon that eventually resulted in him missing the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons through injury. [13]
O'Meara requested a trade from Gold Coast in August 2016. [14] In September, he nominated Hawthorn as his preferred destination. [15] He was officially traded to Hawthorn in October. [16] O'Meara had an injury-plagued first season at Hawthorn, managing only six games due to ongoing knee problems. O'Meara's knee improved considerably by 2018, and he became a standard fixture in Hawthorn's midfield for that season and 2019. Due to Tom Mitchell's injury preventing him from participating in the latter season, O'Meara was widely seen as Hawthorn's most effective midfielder. [17] [18]
O'Meara was named as one of Hawthorn's two Vice-Captains prior to the 2020 season, along with Mitchell. [19] O'Meara broke his hand in Round 12 of the season, causing him to miss four games. [20]
Despite being contracted to Hawthorn for a further year, O'Meara attracted interest from multiple clubs during the 2022 trade period, with interest from GWS and Fremantle, who were seeking a senior player to add to their lists. [21] O'Meara was eventually traded to Fremantle, allowing him to return to his home state with a four-year contract. [22] [23]
Upon joining Fremantle O’Meara was promoted to the clubs leadership group. [24] O’Meara played his first game for Fremantle in the opening round of the 2023 AFL season. He had 19 disposals and 13 handballs in their 15 point loss to St Kilda. He kicked two goals and collected 21 disposals the next round against North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
O'Meara became engaged to Tory Packer in December 2022. [25] They married in December 2023. [26] O'Meara is currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Griffith University.
Updated to the end of round 17, 2024. [27]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
2013 | Gold Coast | 1 | 22 | 16 | 11 | 231 | 245 | 476 | 97 | 111 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 21.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4 |
2014 | Gold Coast | 1 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 268 | 204 | 472 | 77 | 142 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 12.2 | 9.3 | 21.4 | 3.5 | 6.4 | 1 |
2015 | Gold Coast | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
2016 | Gold Coast | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
2017 | Hawthorn | 10 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 88 | 129 | 12 | 24 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 6.8 | 14.7 | 21.5 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 1 |
2018 | Hawthorn | 10 | 21 | 16 | 8 | 266 | 238 | 504 | 79 | 114 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 12.7 | 11.3 | 24.0 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 13 |
2019 | Hawthorn | 10 | 21 | 8 | 11 | 327 | 215 | 542 | 76 | 123 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 15.6 | 10.2 | 25.8 | 3.6 | 5.9 | 11 |
2020 [lower-alpha 1] | Hawthorn | 10 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 140 | 110 | 250 | 35 | 50 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 11.7 | 9.2 | 20.8 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3 |
2021 | Hawthorn | 10 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 232 | 241 | 473 | 74 | 91 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 12.9 | 13.4 | 26.3 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 11 |
2022 | Hawthorn | 10 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 230 | 197 | 427 | 74 | 105 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 11.0 | 9.4 | 20.3 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 2 |
2023 | Fremantle | 2 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 186 | 225 | 411 | 55 | 102 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 19.6 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 1 |
2024 | Fremantle | 2 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 183 | 154 | 337 | 79 | 63 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 8.3 | 7.0 | 15.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 | |
Career | 186 | 85 | 74 | 2104 | 1916 | 4020 | 658 | 927 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 21.6 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 47 |
Notes
Individual
Samuel Mitchell is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is the current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Campbell Brown is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club and the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and the current captain of the Australian national Kabaddi team. He is leading the side at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. He was a member of Hawthorn's 2008 AFL Grand Final premiership winning team, but his career was abruptly ended when he was fired for an off field incident with a Gold Coast teammate during the 2014 pre-season.
David Hale is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. As a player, he played with the North Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Rhys Palmer is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club, Greater Western Sydney Giants and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He won the AFL Rising Star award in 2008.
Anthony Morabito is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was delisted in 2016 after multiple knee reconstructions and several other injuries.
Benjamin Stratton is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Zac Smith is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for Gold Coast from 2011 to 2015 and 2020 to 2021, as well as Geelong between 2016 and 2019.
Sam Menegola is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He had previously been listed by Hawthorn and Fremantle, but didn't play a senior game for either club. He is related to former Swan Districts premiership winner and Richmond player, Todd Menegola.
Bradley Hill is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Hawthorn Football Club from 2012 to 2016, and for the Fremantle Football Club between 2017 and 2019. He is a very quick running player who plays as a wingman.
Samuel Frost is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A utility, 1.95 metres tall and weighing 94 kilograms (207 lb), Frost has the ability to play as either a forward or defender, and is capable of also playing in the ruck. He entered top-level football early when he played as a bottom-aged player for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup. His final year as a junior saw him play in both the winning grand final for Sandringham and the winning final for Vic Metro in the 2011 AFL Under 18 Championships. He was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with the first selection in the 2012 rookie draft and made his debut during the 2012 season. After three seasons with Greater Western Sydney and twenty-one matches in total, he was traded to the Melbourne Football Club during the 2014 trade period. On 11 October 2019 he was traded to Hawthorn.
The 2013 AFL season was the 117th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured eighteen clubs, ran from 22 March until 28 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top eight clubs.
Dean Kent is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne and St Kilda Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). A forward, 1.79 metres tall and weighing 86 kilograms (190 lb), Kent played primarily as a small forward with the ability to push into the midfield. He had a successful final junior year in the colts competition in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) in which he won the Jack Clarke Medal as the fairest and best player, the league coaches award and was named in the team of the year. His performances as a junior saw him recruited by the Melbourne Football Club with the forty-eighth selection in the 2012 AFL draft and make his AFL debut during the 2013 season.
The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football team based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Nicknamed the Suns, the club competes in the Australian Football League and has done so since 2011.
Jack Martin is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Jarman Impey is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Port Adelaide Football Club from 2014 to 2017.
Jesse Hogan is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). A key forward, Hogan is 1.95 metres tall and weighs 100 kilograms (220 lb). He was a standout basketballer and footballer at a young age, representing Western Australia in both sports and played in the West Australian Football League colts competition with the Claremont Football Club. He was rewarded with All-Australian selection as a junior in the 2012 AFL Under 18 Championships and in turn, he was drafted by Melbourne with the second selection in the 2012 mini-draft, meaning he was ineligible to play in the 2013 AFL season. After a back injury ruined his 2014 season, he made his AFL debut in the 2015 season and won the Ron Evans Medal as the AFL Rising Star. In his first two playing years for Melbourne, he was the leading goalkicker in both seasons. In October 2018, he was acquired by Fremantle in a trade that sent him back home to Western Australia, however, after two unsuccessful years at the Dockers, Hogan was traded to Greater Western Sydney.
Connor Blakely is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL).
James Harmes is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL), having initially been drafted to the Melbourne Football Club. Harmes made his AFL debut during the 2015 season, received a Rising Star nomination the following season, and played in Melbourne's drought-breaking 2021 premiership.
Joshua Dunkley is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The 2017 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 93rd season in the Australian Football League and 116th overall, the 18th season playing home games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 17th season playing home games at the newly named University of Tasmania Stadium, the 13th season under head coach Alastair Clarkson, and the 1st season with Jarryd Roughead as club captain. This was the first time since 2013 that Hawthorn didn't enter the season as the defending premiers.