More than one stalemate out there..
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...k=39ee9d6f901fb177267ef4e517f31bbb-1476787947
Star midfielder Jaeger O’Meara could be forced to nominate for the AFL national draft
Jay Clark, Herald Sun
23 minutes ago
Subscriber only
HAWTHORN could walk away from negotiations with Gold Coast over midfielder Jaeger O’Meara in a move that could force the Suns’ star into the national draft.
Talks between the two clubs have slowed to a halt with the Suns unwilling to accept the Hawks’ two top picks, which are No. 10 and No. 48, for O’Meara.
Hawthorn believe a first-round and third-round pick is a fair deal for a player who has not played a single senior game over the past two seasons due to serious knee injuries.
The Hawks swapped their first pick from next year’s draft in a bid to gain No. 10 in this year’s draft from St Kilda, but it has failed to appease the Suns.
Instead, Gold Coast wants a senior player from Hawthorn, but the players they have targeted from Waverley have refused to join the Suns.
Hawthorn cannot trade a senior player to the Suns without the player’s consent.
The dramatic stalemate threatens to force O’Meara, 22, into the national draft if the two clubs are unable to agree to a trade deal for the Rising Star winner before Thursday’s 2pm trade deadline.
If O’Meara enters the national draft, the Suns would potentially be left red-faced if it lost the glittering ball-winner for nothing.
The AFL has made clear its two struggling Queensland clubs can help rebound from continued disappointing performances by using the correct trade and draft mechanisms to bolster their squads.
However, sources said the Suns may want to make a statement to deter other players who may consider walking out on the franchise club next year.
Entering the draft could be a devastating blow for O’Meara who would have to hope he is not taken by another club before Hawthorn’s No. 10 selection in the national draft.
Former St Kilda midfielder Luke Ball found his way to Collingwood’s No. 30 selection in 2009 after confronting the same dilemma.
O’Meara could also choose to enter the preseason draft, but would certainly be taken by Essendon with the No. 1 pick.
Essendon has a keen interest in O’Meara, but the player’s manager, Colin Young, is adamant the Suns’ star will get to the club of his choice, which is Hawthorn.
O’Meara could put a big price on his head to help deter unwanted clubs from taking him in the national draft and could also sign for only one season, or spend one year out of the game.
Young had crucial talks with Gold Coast representatives on Tuesday in a bid to help clinch the deal but the Suns are standing firm on their demands.
Gold Coast president Tony Cochrane previously said O’Meara owes the Suns for all the help they have provided him during his time on the sidelines.
“We are very disappointed because he has been with us for four years but has only played football for the club for two of those years,” Cochrane said.
“We have put a lot of time, effort, money, resources, made sure he had the best medical advice and took him to London to make sure he had the best surgeon on that first knee operation.
“So we think we have invested a lot in the person, we had great faith in the individual and we built our whole junior program on the Gold Coast around Jaeger’s Juniors.
“We unfortunately — and perhaps foolishly — believed that it would be repaid by him re-signing with us for at least another two years and we made a very substantial offer on that basis which he has chosen to reject.
“It might be old fashioned but loyalty is a two-way street. It is not a dead-end road.”