AFL
Trade Talk: O’Meara, Prestia & Tigers
Joshua Papanikolaou | 26 May 2016, 04:58PM
Gold Coast midfield pair Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia will not be at the Suns next season given the club’s predicament and their delaying of contract negotiations, says Brett Anderson.
The talk surrounding O’Meara, who is currently still on his way back to senior football after a serious knee injury, has been growing and his football future seems to be in Victoria.
“I think they both go, personally, and that’s been a longstanding viewpoint for the last 12 to 18 months especially on Jaeger,” said Anderson on SEN radio.
“A little bit less with Dion but there was a press conference with him where, not trying to be a body language expert, but it didn’t bode well from what I looked at.
“Some of the comments about delaying contract talks, we know what that typically means.”
The SEN draft analyst noted that although Hawthorn has long been considered front-runners for O’Meara there are other clubs in with a good chance of luring the hot prospect.
“St Kilda, Hawthorn and Richmond are the three that I’ve heard for a long, long time,” said Anderson.
“I wouldn’t rule out St Kilda.
“The knee, you hear different reports, I’ve heard reports that it’s not great but you hear other things that it’s okay.
“Ultimately, if a club is looking to recruit Jaeger O’Meara it’s ‘we should get a discount based on his knee’ – well if you’re looking to recruit him you’ve basically already cleared the fact that his knee is okay, there’s no discounts that he might have a sore knee.”
Another highly rated midfielder likely to be at another club in 2017 is GWS Giants youngster Jack Steele who is a long way down the list of options available to coach Leon Cameron.
“I think Jack Steele plays at another footy club next year,” added Anderson.
“Now, I know Richmond really liked him in his draft year – really, really liked him – and he would fit them perfectly in terms of someone who could come in and play.
“He’s not one of those cast-offs that’s not playing, this is a genuine top quality kid who is just unfortunately stuck behind a pretty handy midfield.”
http://www.sen.com.au/news/05-16/trade-talk-o-meara-prestia-tigers#QUiBdvLXWXT392xz.97