As far as prized acquisitions go, they don’t get much bigger than Jaeger O’Meara. After receiving lucrative draft concessions in the years prior to the 2011 drafting period, the Gold Coast SUNS were brought back to earth in this draft, but not before landing a big fish in O’Meara.
With only one pick in the first round, and three at the back end of the draft, this year was all about sealing the signature of Western Australian underage sensation O’Meara, a young player who had stamped himself as a star of the future from a very young age.
The SUNS attained the rights to the first pick in the 2011 mini draft (The mini draft was part of Greater Western Sydney’s draft concessions, with clubs able to trade with the Giants to then gain access to players who weren’t eligible in that draft – predominantly 17-year-olds) by exchanging pick No. 4 to the Giants in order to secure the rights to O’Meara.
After a stunning first two seasons in the AFL - where he played every game and won the 2013 NAB Rising Star award - O’Meara’s career hit a roadblock in 2015 due to a ruptured patella tendon, which sidelined him for the entire campaign.
Alex Sexton was recruited as a local talent access selection at the death in the 2011 national draft and has gradually worked his way into a career at Metricon Stadium.
After playing 24 games in his first three years at the SUNS, the versatile midfielder enjoyed a breakout patch during 2015 under Rodney Eade. Sexton played a variety of roles under the new coach, effectively being utilized as a tagger as well as on a wing at different times before injury brought his season to a premature finish.
Despite taking longer than any player in the club’s history to earn a debut, key defender Henry Schade made up for lost time in 2015. The Tasmanian became a regular member of the SUNS back six, playing 15 of the last 18 games of the year to take giant strides forward under Rodney Eade.
Aaron Hall laid the foundations in the back half of last season to become one of the steals of the 2011 drafting period. After being overlooked in the national draft, the Tasmanian was taken in the pre-season draft.
Hall spent the first four and half seasons at Metricon Stadium on a half forward flank, but in the closing stages of 2015, the big-bodied utility grasped an opportunity in the midfield. His last seven games in the engine room have formed an ideal launching pad to build his career on.
Mini Draft Selection: Jaeger O’Meara
2011 National Draft
24. Henry Schade
80. Alik Magin – Delisted at end of 2012
88. Alex Sexton
91. Jackson Allen – Delisted at end of 2013
2012 Pre Season Draft
7. Aaron Hall
2012 Rookie Draft
2. Kyal Horsley – Delisted at end of 2013
20. Andrew McQualter – Delisted at end of 2012
38. Michael Coad – Delisted at end of 2012
94. Josh Hall – Delisted at end of 2015
