Fans react to revelations of botched Jaeger O’Meara trade

HAWTHORN created a social media storm during the season over allegedly favourable umpiring. Now fans think they’re getting a free ride in trades. And the responses are hilarious.

New Hawk Jaeger O’Meara.

HAWTHORN created a social media storm during the season over allegedly favourable umpiring. Now fans think they’re getting a free ride in trades.

The Herald Sun revealed this morning that the AFL had interpreted its own rules on trading future draft picks, allowing the O’Meara deal to go through in the final minutes of the trade period.

The league said on Wednesday that nothing illegal had taken place based on “the full wording of the rule”.

But spokesman Patrick Keane replied to a fan’s question six hours after the trade deadline saying the Hawks weren’t allowed to trade their own 2017 second-round pick to Gold Coast — the deal the league now says was within the rules.

@FreoPope It was the GWS future r2 they got via Carl in last 20 mins. couldn't trade their own future r2 after trading out future r1 to StK.

— Patrick Keane (@AFL_PKeane) October 20, 2016

Earlier this year the hashtag #freekickhawthorn became a viral online campaign after the Hawks won several close games that involved controversial umpiring calls.

Now it has a post-season counterpart.

#freepickhawthorn https://t.co/SdW2MNt4ij

— Mitch (@M_1tch) October 25, 2016

#FreePickHawthorn

— Luke Chambers (@lukeychambers) October 25, 2016

@AFL #freetradehawthorn now?

Your code is quite the joke.

— Milan (@MilanEthnick) October 25, 2016

"Well it's Hawthorn"

Gillon Mclachlan making a solid point on the Jaeger Trade.

— Griggsy (@GriggsGene) October 26, 2016

Surely the trade just gets reversed? Otherwise, let's just make this 'making up the rules as we go along' approach official. Why pretend?

— Titus O'Reily (@TitusOReily) October 25, 2016

Sam Landsberger’s exclusive article has attracted more than 200 comments so far and hundreds more on Facebook. A high percentage are a variation of “free kick Hawthorn”, but others show Hawk fans jumping to their team’s defence.

“I love the jealous tears of other supporters ... can almost taste them,” wrote Drty Dan.

Peter added: “Obviously a LOT of people very scared of the Mighty Hawks! Suck it up, we intend to be right back there next year.”

Opposition supporters also railed against deals Hawthorn did with St Kilda and Carlton that paved the way for the O’Meara trade, with several pointing out AFL football operations boss Mark Evans’ previous job was at the Hawks.

Neil has demanded action: “Heads must roll at AFL House and the O’Meara deal must be voided. #FreeKick Hawthorn”

Rip has a plan for action: “A Royal Commission should be formed to investigate AFL favouritism ... I think the head of ASADA should be chairman for a speedy result!”

Alan perhaps summed it up best: “I am sitting here with a friend who has studied quantum physics and we have no idea what the draft rules mean! I suspect no one at the AFL does either.”

Originally published as Fans react to revelations of botched Jaeger O’Meara trade