GWS is “having a massive crack” at Hawthorn midfielder Jaeger O’Meara in the final 48 hours of the trade period.
The Herald Sun’s Marc McGowan first reported the Giants’ interest in O’Meara, who is great mates with GWS co-captain Stephen Coniglio, attending his wedding on the weekend.
While it’s unclear whether the 28-year-old would consider a trade, his departure would allow the Hawks to add another draft pick as their rebuild continues.
Watch Trading Day every weeknight from 6pm EST on Fox Footy – daily news and analysis of the AFL trade period. Stream it live or on-demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
The Giants still have a bounty of draft picks on-hand, even after swapping 3 and 12 for pick 1 in Monday’s mega-deal, owning picks 1, 15, 18 and 19.
They dealt pick 44 for Melbourne small forward Toby Bedford on Monday.
Port ‘wins trade period’ in mega deal | 02:07
“They’re filling in very specific positional needs,” Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy’s Trading Day.
“Marc McGowan, my colleague at the Herald Sun, has reported today that Jaeger O’Meara is someone they’re having a massive crack at.
“I would imagine Hawthorn would pay a significant part of his wage – they’re very keen to get another top-20 pick in. GWS has picks 18 and 19.
“I would just say on face value, with the likes of Tom Green and Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio as those inside midfielders, it doesn’t make all the sense in the world.”
Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson questioned whether O’Meara would really be worth the late first-round pick.
“Good player O’Meara, no question. I don’t think he’s in that first-round category, maybe slides to a second, back-end of a second,” Johnson said on Fox Footy’s Trading Day.
“So if Hawthorn were able to get this deal underway, they’d be wrapped to get a first-rounder for him, but I’m not sure that would occur.”
North Melbourne champion David King responded: “He’s not a first-rounder.
“He came seventh in the best and fairest, he played 21 games and the team won eight games. So how do you equate that?”
North great rages over Pick 1 deal | 03:31
O’Meara has played 143 AFL games since being selected by Gold Coast in a special 2011 mini-draft at pick 1.
Viewed as a superstar prospect, he played 44 games at the Suns but battled serious knee injuries that cost him the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Then requesting a trade, O’Meara was sent to the Hawks in exchange for pick 10 and a future second-rounder, where he has played 99 games and became a vice-captain in 2020.
