HAWTHORN'S medical team has ticked-off on Jaeger O'Meara's troublesome knee and was "very" influential in the wantaway Gold Coast star's decision to seek a trade to Waverley, his manager Colin Young says.
O'Meara hasn’t played senior football for two years after rupturing his patella tendon and wants a move to the Hawks after previously working with experienced club doctor Michael Makdissi.
The Hawks' fitness staff famously turned four-time premiership player Shaun Burgoyne's career around after he arrived at the club on crutches in 2009 and O'Meara is hopeful of making a similar recovery.
"Jaeger has a relationship with Michael back from the AIS days, when Jaeger said they met they clicked and obviously with Burgoyne back in the day it really got to him," Young said.
"So he was pretty happy that all the planets lined up and Hawthorn was the one.
"It's always a risk because of two years out of the game but they (Hawthorn) think he can (get back to play) and they've got the proof in the pudding."
How the Hawks get the deal done is a stumbling block, with the Suns already flush with draft picks and keen to secure experienced players.
The Hawks' list manager Graham Wright and Suns counterpart Scott Clayton will begin talks next week and Young backed the "experienced operators" to get the deal done.
"Out of respect, Gold Coast let Hawthorn go through the finals and obviously now that it's over, they're going to start kicking into gear," he said.
"They're two of the best who are going to do this trade, so hopefully it will get done and I don't think Hawthorn would entertain a trade like this if they didn't believe they could get it done."
Young said O'Meara doesn't have a plan B at this stage if a deal can't be done to get to Hawthorn.