Jaeger O'Meara says he has a big head-start on this year's draftees after being snapped up by the Gold Coast SUNS 12 months early.

O'Meara, 18, will miss the hype and nerves of Thursday night's NAB AFL Draft on the Gold Coast after the SUNS traded for him via the 17-year-old mini draft in 2011.

Despite a number of experts believing he could have been taken as the No.1 pick this year, O'Meara said he would not have it any other way.

After 12 months in the AFL system – playing for the SUNS reserves in the NEAFL – the West Australian says he is now fully equipped to meet the demands of senior football.

It's definitely humbling to be compared to something like that (being a possible No.1 pick) but I'm ecstatic to be at a club a year earlier than I was supposed to be, O'Meara said.

"I'm sure the guys in the draft this year are a bit jealous of me being able to come to a club a year early.

"It's definitely given me time to develop my body and spend time with the coaches and learn the game-plans.

It's given me a lot of confidence going into this pre-season. If I got to the club this year I wouldn't have the body I have now. I've put on five or six kilos and I know the game-plan, I know the boys and I can't wait to play.

O'Meara said he agreed with the AFL age restrictions that limited players from making their senior debut until they were 18.

He has just returned from his second pre-season altitude training camp in Arizona after joining the SUNS there in 2011.

He missed the first week of training after recovering from a hernia operation but said he was ready to resume full training with the SUNS on Wednesday.

It's still a long pre-season to go but itching to get out there and hopefully play round one, he said.

"I had some injuries (last season) so it was quite frustrating so I'm itching to get out there.

"There's still a lot of water to go under the bridge and hopefully I can stay injury free and prove to the coaches that I deserve my spot."