Player Watch Jaeger O'Meara: 4 more years.

[Blackhawk42]

It's a strange one. I never really bought into O'Meara as a Hawthorn player. Considering the look of the man and that rockstar name, it's actually quite extraordinary how often he was 'out of sight, out of mind' for me.

To give this context, I remember seeing on Brownlow night 2018 that he'd polled 13 votes and I was stunned. For years he almost felt like some strange, handsome blur that my television screen couldn't pixelate correctly.
The only game memory I have pre-2021 was the soccer goal in the wet against Melbourne.

I made sure to start paying more attention in 2021 after many were starting to really campaign for him being our next captain.

I'm glad I did, because his early form that year was exceptional.

I liked the role he played this season and would have been more than happy for him to stay on.

I do wish him well at Fremantle. I think he'll have a fine end of his career there.

He also looks better in Purple and white than he did in a Hawks jumper IMO.

 

[TylerDurden]

It's a strange one. I never really bought into O'Meara as a Hawthorn player. Considering the look of the man and that rockstar name, it's actually quite extraordinary how often he was 'out of sight, out of mind' for me.

To give this context, I remember seeing on Brownlow night 2018 that he'd polled 13 votes and I was stunned. For years he almost some strange, handsome blur that my television screen couldn't pixelate correctly.

An oppo mate asked me today, "why was he traded out?"

I replied with one word, "inconsistent"

There were games where you thought, he's arrived. Then the next week he'd have 16 touches and go missing. He could never string it together long enough for us.

I came to the conclusion that we needed him to be the main man, and both physically and mentally he couldn't be that. I daresay Sam saw a similar thing.

He was a Hawthorn man, and gave his all. But we wanted more. He just couldn't deliver it.

 

[HawthornHawk]

Clarko thought he could be our Dangerfield but because of his injuries he could never have the sort of power in his legs that was required.

Always gave everything and played a very team oriented role this year for us. Was no surprise that his best game was against Freo where he spent more time in the middle, hope he can win a flag with them.

 

[cryptor]

He also looks better in Purple and white than he did in a Hawks jumper IMO.

 

[Hodgey 15]

What tripe!
He sought out GWS after the wedding but going to Freo he cried.
Seriously! Sam didn’t beg me to stay,who says that?
I was begging for him to get a touch all season.
Hope he doesn’t get dizzy walking around Freo’s clubhouse looking for the trophy cabinet.

GWS sought out him at Cogs wedding based on what the journo said in news clip.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[The hands of stone]

Will actually be interesting to see how many games he plays per season .
Would think the flights every second week may be the best for the grumbly knee

 

[hawkmang]

Will actually be interesting to see how many games he plays per season .
Would think the flights every second week may be the best for the grumbly knee

Perth players do a lot of travelling, I tend to agree he will have a fair bit more body management

 

[SSSSSS]

Really wish him all the best. Fantastic servant for the club and whilst he didn't deliver what was promised, I can't begrudge him as it wasn't from a lack of will. Could see the mind wanted to go but the body couldn't keep up.

Amazed at how durable he was given his history but the damage had been done.

 

[Khmerhawk]

If he was pushed out it's ironic really that Sammy pushed out the two players that him and Lewis both got pushed out for.

 

[Billyc]

If he was pushed out it's ironic really that Sammy pushed out the two players that him and Lewis both got pushed out for.

It is a fitting full stop on what was a rubbish bit of business in 2016. We shipped two club legends and team leaders who just finished 1st and 2nd in the B&F for absolute peanuts and sold the farm for two guys we hoped could emulate their careers. They didn’t. Tom Mitchell played some excellent footy, O’Meara was a solid player. Neither became captains, instead we opted for what was left of the premiership cohort to lead in their final years. Then we traded Mitchell and JOM out 6 years later, having never won a final, for low picks.

In the meantime all of those 2016 decisions have continued to haunt us, including at the trade table where we are seen as pushovers and in other senior players feeling they should leave on their own terms (Smith and Gunston).

Draw a line under this failure of an era now and move on. I suspect there’s a bit of that thinking in what Mitchell has done. He wanted to do it last year when he took over.

 

[TylerDurden]

It is a fitting full stop on what was a rubbish bit of business in 2016. We shipped two club legends and team leaders who just finished 1st and 2nd in the B&F for absolute peanuts and sold the farm for two guys we hoped could emulate their careers. They didn’t. Tom Mitchell played some excellent footy, O’Meara was a solid player. Neither became captains, instead we opted for what was left of the premiership cohort to lead in their final years. Then we traded Mitchell and JOM out 6 years later, having never won a final, for low picks.

In the meantime all of those 2016 decisions have continued to haunt us, including at the trade table where we are seen as pushovers and in other senior players feeling they should leave on their own terms (Smith and Gunston).

Draw a line under this failure of an era now and move on. I suspect there’s a bit of that thinking in what Mitchell has done. He wanted to do it last year when he took over.

That's the way I see it.

The fresh page will come when we employee a hard arsed negotiator as a List Manager. MM can slide back to being Head of Recruiting. But for mine, the role we are missing the most is a quality List Manager. Imagine if we had a Stephen Wells running the show.

 

[Hawthorn United]

It is a fitting full stop on what was a rubbish bit of business in 2016. We shipped two club legends and team leaders who just finished 1st and 2nd in the B&F for absolute peanuts and sold the farm for two guys we hoped could emulate their careers. They didn’t. Tom Mitchell played some excellent footy, O’Meara was a solid player. Neither became captains, instead we opted for what was left of the premiership cohort to lead in their final years. Then we traded Mitchell and JOM out 6 years later, having never won a final, for low picks.

In the meantime all of those 2016 decisions have continued to haunt us, including at the trade table where we are seen as pushovers and in other senior players feeling they should leave on their own terms (Smith and Gunston).

Draw a line under this failure of an era now and move on. I suspect there’s a bit of that thinking in what Mitchell has done. He wanted to do it last year when he took over.

Agreed with everything you did today and back in 2016, my thoughts were similar.

Lewis and Mitchell going were required, but if we did that, we needed to go all in with rebuilding.

JOM at the end of 2016 was a huge risk and we paid way too much in terms of picks. Most Hawthorn people were thinking we were getting the 2014 JOM and his potential.

 

[Angus Young]

It is a fitting full stop on what was a rubbish bit of business in 2016. We shipped two club legends and team leaders who just finished 1st and 2nd in the B&F for absolute peanuts and sold the farm for two guys we hoped could emulate their careers.

This. Feel like we would of still been contenders if not for those stupid decisions.

 

[mustang]

That's the way I see it.

The fresh page will come when we employee a hard arsed negotiator as a List Manager. MM can slide back to being Head of Recruiting. But for mine, the role we are missing the most is a quality List Manager. Imagine if we had a Stephen Wells running the show.

We need to Poach one from another club or maybe.

 

[Yardie]

We need to Poach one from another club or maybe.

Can someone tell me what is actually so wrong with the list that MM needs to be replaced?

 

[JZedd]

It is a fitting full stop on what was a rubbish bit of business in 2016. We shipped two club legends and team leaders who just finished 1st and 2nd in the B&F for absolute peanuts and sold the farm for two guys we hoped could emulate their careers. They didn’t. Tom Mitchell played some excellent footy, O’Meara was a solid player. Neither became captains, instead we opted for what was left of the premiership cohort to lead in their final years. Then we traded Mitchell and JOM out 6 years later, having never won a final, for low picks.

In the meantime all of those 2016 decisions have continued to haunt us, including at the trade table where we are seen as pushovers and in other senior players feeling they should leave on their own terms (Smith and Gunston).

Draw a line under this failure of an era now and move on. I suspect there’s a bit of that thinking in what Mitchell has done. He wanted to do it last year when he took over.

Mitchell was 5th in PCMedal. O'Meara was 7th (I think).

 

[mustang]

Can someone tell me what is actually so wrong with the list that MM needs to be replaced?

He doesn’t need to be replaced his drafting is solid I think it’s his trading and list management that we need someone else to take over this side of recruiting.

 

[Billyc]

Can someone tell me what is actually so wrong with the list that MM needs to be replaced?

Well we haven't won a final in 7 years and you'd be brave to think that won't extend to at least 9 years, so let's not pretend the list is awesome. While many errors were made by Clarkson and Wright, MM has been in his current role for 5 years, and the side is still lurking in the bottom rungs of the ladder.

Like most, I think MM is a good talent spotter who drafts well. Drafted very well in 2021. But MM's moves in the trade periods have been consistently poor and our clear objectives (improving draft hand and leveraging salary cap space to do so) have not been achieved.

We have been curtailed by the soft cap and Clarkson's contract over recent years, but i'd support throwing some bank at a new list manager and having MM simply head up drafting, where I think his strengths lie.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Can someone tell me what is actually so wrong with the list that MM needs to be replaced?

He didn’t make melon jam out of pigshit during the trade period.

 

[Big Hotdog]

He didn’t make melon jam out of pigshit during the trade period.

In a nutshell. Imagine playing like Dodo when you are trying to sell magic beans to other teams.

Give the bloke a break.

On Nokia 6.1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[eldorado]

If enough people keep repeating "Mark McKenzie was asleep at the wheel" often enough, it will become true...

 

[Yardie]

Well we haven't won a final in 7 years and you'd be brave to think that won't extend to at least 9 years, so let's not pretend the list is awesome. While many errors were made by Clarkson and Wright, MM has been in his current role for 5 years, and the side is still lurking in the bottom rungs of the ladder.

Like most, I think MM is a good talent spotter who drafts well. Drafted very well in 2021. But MM's moves in the trade periods have been consistently poor and our clear objectives (improving draft hand and leveraging salary cap space to do so) have not been achieved.

We have been curtailed by the soft cap and Clarkson's contract over recent years, but i'd support throwing some bank at a new list manager and having MM simply head up drafting, where I think his strengths lie.

So effectively he has been in the role for five years, of which three were heavily influenced by Clarkson and Wright, and hasn't done the following in the last two:

1. Amazing players for a fourth rounder deals (how did that work out)
2. Amazing trade for O'Meara (wait a second how many people agree with this....)
3. Amazing trade for Wingard (wait a second how many people agree with this....)
4. Kyle Hartigan equivalent as a free agent (I know we have Amon, but c'mon is he really as good as Kyle)
5. Failed to get a first rounder for Tom (I know no one wants him but he should have done better then bring in a young midfielder with promise)
6. Failed to get a first rounder for Jaeger (only got us a second rounder and a potentially good ruckman who was probs gonna cost a second rounder....damn you Fremantle!)

I would highly recommend people go and read the Best 22 thread to see how people are struggling to create a team that includes everyone.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I think the main thing is that people seem to have gotten into their heads that we ‘missed out’ on Bowes because we didn’t offer him enough money, or because Sam and Mark didn’t get the deal done, or were too slow to act rather than waking up and realizing that he had sights for the premierhip side, and was not fussed about the money at all.
The close-minded thinking here that we could/should compete for a player who’s endured their time at the bottom with the premiership side is what has people ultimately upset at the trade period, I feel.

People also had a very hard time coming to terms with the fact that both Tom and JOM were not going to get us topline trade currency like we had hoped for the last 12 months but eventually recognised would not be the case, so getting younger players in for them seems to be glossed over or forgotten completely.

 

[eldorado]

I think the main thing is that people seem to have gotten into their heads that we ‘missed out’ on Bowes because we didn’t offer him enough money, or because Sam and Mark didn’t get the deal done, or were too slow to act rather than waking up and realizing that he had sights for the premierhip side, and was not fussed about the money at all.
The close-minded thinking here that we could/should compete for a player who’s endured their time at the bottom with the premiership side is what has people ultimately upset at the trade period, I feel.

People also had a very hard time coming to terms with the fact that both Tom and JOM were not going to get us topline trade currency like we had hoped for the last 12 months but eventually recognised would not be the case, so getting younger players in for them seems to be glossed over or forgotten completely.

There seems to be a recurring theme, that when people imagine a scenario with a desirable outcome, it immediately becomes eminently achievable and do-able unilaterally by Hawthorn, with little understanding that other parties have their own desires and requirements from any interaction.

It goes from "i would like a first round pick" to "they should be able to get a first round pick' to 'they failed, they didn't get a first round pick'

When JOM and GWS was on the cards, a first rounder was also on the cards. Unfortunately, when he chose Freo, that opportunity fell away somewhat.

We won't know how far Hawthorn was willing to 'force' JOM to GWS to get a better pick. Should we have? I don't know the answer to that one. It's always much simpler here on the internet than when you are making decisions that actually significantly affect people's lives.

 

[theiaofseed]

Mark Mckenzie bad because Wingard and Breust refused to be traded hence we missed out on GWS's first round pick last year?
Mark Mckenzie bad because no team wanted JOM and Mitchell in 2020 when there was uncertainty round list sizes and salary cap and unusually low trades?
Mark Mckenzie bad because Bowes decided to join the premiers than a bottom 4 side?
Mark Mckenzie bad because JOM picked Fremantle over GWS so we missed picked 19?
Mark Mckenzie bad because he only bought in promising young Ruck, a former first round pick and the best wing in the league?
Mark Mckenzie bad because he traded out our oldest midfielders from the worst performing midfield in the league?
Mark Mckenzie bad because he's kept our first and second round picks between 19-22?
Mark Mckenzie bad because couldn't trade terrible players for good draft picks?