Jaeger O’Meara's brilliant debut season continues with the 2013 AFL Rising Star tonight recognised at the annual AFLPA awards in Melbourne.

The Gold Coast SUNS gun midfielder becoming the first Gold Coast player to win the AFLPA’s Best First Year Player award, polling an incredible 533 votes ahead of Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines (45) and Adelaide’s Brad Crouch (37).

The polished teenager had an outstanding inaugural season in the AFL, playing all 22 Premiership matches for the Gold Coast SUNS. 

An rare junior talent and former member of the AIS-AFL Academy squad, O’Meara has made trail-blazing transition into the national competition – polling 204 votes to finish second runner-up in the Gold Coast SUNS Club Championship behind Dion Prestia (213) and winner Gary Ablett (260). 

In receiving the award, O’Meara joins Brownlow Medallists Adam Goodes and Chris Judd as previous winners, while joining an exclusive list of AFL players who have won both the Rising Star and Best First Year Player. 

GC SUNS senior coach Guy McKenna told goldcoastfc.com.au O’Meara’s latest accolade was just another testament to the fantastic year he has had.

“To win the AFLPA’s Best First Year Player, on the back of his Rising Star success, shows just how remarkable his first year was in the competition,” McKenna said.

“There are not too many players that can come into a senior side and do what he has been able to do in his first year, and to do it at a football club as unique as ours, in terms of our developing playing list is incredible.”

Although O’Meara, and the team, will be under more scrutiny next season with higher expectations around the Club, McKenna was confident his young solider would be ready to tackle the challenges that lay ahead.

“Jaeger’s attitude is fantastic and there’s no doubt he’ll be going out there next year to make an even stronger impact on the ground.”