Jaeger O’Meara has been traded by Hawthorn to Fremantle.
The 28-year-old midfielder has joined the Dockers in exchange for ruckman Lloyd Meek, who has joined the Hawks along with a future second-round draft selection.
Freo will become O’Meara’s third AFL club after he spent four years with the Gold Coast Suns and six seasons with the Hawks.
He was also on the radar of GWS late in the trade period but opted for the Dockers after some apprehension, according to AFL Media’s Damian Barrett.
“From what I can gather, it has come as a bolt out of the blue for Jaeger this time around,” Damian Barrett said on AFL Trade Radio.
“I know he was thrown up last year but until the weekend, I believe, he didn’t really think that we’d be talking about this tonight.
“The initial interest was from GWS. He’s had some moments behind the scenes in the last 48 hours which were quite apprehensive for him and people around him with how it’s all unfolded.”
Stephen Silvagni believes the shift to the Dockers presents well for O’Meara as they are much closer to a premiership than both the Hawks and the Giants, where his close friend Stephen Coniglio is co-captain.
“To finish off your career, the choice of going to the Giants or Freo, who are obviously playing finals footy,” Silvagni said.
“I think he’d like to try and at least get to a Grand Final. By him picking Freo, I think it’s a good move for him that maybe he can finish off his career with the chance of playing in a Grand Final.
“Had he been at the Giants, they’re a little way off just at the minute.”
O’Meara played 99 games for the Hawks, including just one final, after 44 for the Suns where he won the 2013 Rising Star award.
Meek, 24, was drafted by Freo in 2017 and played 15 games for the club.