O'Meara waiting for all-clear from medical team

29 May 2020, 04:05 by Oliver Caffrey

Hawthorn are optimistic injured midfielder Jaeger O'Meara can avoid donning a Jason Dunstall-esque crash helmet and appear in round two.

The club's vice-captain copped a knock to the face as the Hawks returned to full- contact training this week ahead of the league's imminent restart.

O'Meara ended up with a small facial fracture that has put him in doubt to face Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on June 12.

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.252%2C$multiply_2.1164%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_15/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/18aa947b789c5e82401a070b676331494f98b0b0 — Jaeger O'Meara, right, suffered a facial fracture in training.Getty Images

Coach Alastair Clarkson says the 26-year-old will sit out contact training until the medical team gives him the all-clear.

But Clarkson joked he would love to see O'Meara wear the same helmet as club legend Dunstall did on returning from a fractured skull in 1990. Photos of Dunstall wearing the "crash hat" have continually surfaced in his media work during the last 20 years.

"It's an incident that's probably happened so many times and most of the time you actually split a bit of skin, rather than have a little fracture," Clarkson said of O'Meara's injury.

"If you saw him and watched him train, you'd think there was nothing wrong.

"The challenge will probably be holding him back a bit because he's raring to go.

"I'm thinking of ringing the 'Chief' and seeing if we could borrow [the helmet] ... the size of their melons might be a little bit different though."

The Hawks will be out to recapture their round one form in March, where they defeated last year's semi-finalists Brisbane by 28 points. It will be Hawthorn's first game in Geelong since 2006 - Clarkson's second season as club coach.

AAP