HAWTHORN may have stumbled in Tasmania, but star midfielder Jaeger O’Meara continued to demonstrate why the Hawks were so desperate to lure him from Gold Coast.

After managing just six appearances in his first year at Waverley Park, the 24-year-old has rediscovered the confidence in his knee and confidence in his football this winter.

While Alastair Clarkson’s men fell to 10th after the 33-point loss to Brisbane in Launceston, O’Meara booted a career-high four goals, from 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, eight tackles and seven clearances.

Jarryd Roughead gets in the ear of Jaeger O'Meara during a training session this week. Source: Getty Images

Finals Week 1

It might have been his best performance yet, but it didn’t come from out of the blue.

Since emerging from the bye, O’Meara has been in the top few of players on the ground in four of the past five games, in a patch where he has averaged, 26.6 disposals, 9.4 contested possessions, 7.6 tackles and 7.6 clearances, plus potentially a handful of Brownlow votes.

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While the competition has been mesmerised by Tom Mitchell’s phenomenal ball winning ability, it is the other player from the Hawks’ 2016 spending spree that is making as big an impact right now.

Isaac Smith gets around Jaeger O’Meara at University of Tasmania Stadium last weekend. Source: Getty Images

“I think he has been building to that form for the last two months,” three-time Hawthorn premiership wingman Isaac Smith said on RSN on Wednesday.

“He’s had some really solid games for us. He probably hasn’t had that genuine breakout game, but on the weekend he was the dominant Hawthorn player on the ground.

“[Stefan] Martin for them, Dayne Beams or [Dayne] Zorko were pretty influential for them, but he was certainly the dominant Hawthorn player on the ground, which is pleasing.

“I think the fans love it when Jaeger is playing as well because he is quite good looking, he’s got big muscles and everyone loves him.”

If the Hawks are going to make another surge towards September, expect the West Australian to lead the way.

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