The Hawks also locked themselves out of the top of two drafts in succession figuring that the best midfielders available would be gone before 10 picks were used anyway, having begun to plan for another generation midway through 2015 before the third premiership was won.
The new Mitchell has already proved his worth, finishing third in last year's Brownlow Medal and winning the Hawks' best and fairest before becoming the in-form player of the competition in the opening two rounds.
Last year, however, O'Meara played just six games due to bone stress on his kneecap leaving him uncertain about his legs, forcing him to dispose of the ball by foot just 32 per cent of the time.
Now O'Meara is stepping up to the plate and showing signs he might recapture the form that took him to an AFL Rising Star award and third place in the Gold Coast's best and fairest in his first season aged 19.
His progress, presuming Mitchell stays fit and the Hawks have a reasonable run with injuries, may determine how far the Hawks go in 2018.
The Hawks are being cautious on what O'Meara will deliver but they have no doubt about what he might deliver. Coach Alastair Clarkson was bullish about the possibilities.
"In terms of where we thought he would be, this doesn't surprise us now that he is up and going and playing some good footy," Clarkson said.
"We're only two games into a season [so there is] still a long way to go but the signs are looking good [that] we can get some continuity [into him] from week to week and game to game."
Jaeger O'Meara in the thick of the action against Geelong.
Those who watched O'Meara up close at the Gold Coast have seen signs in the first two weeks that he is recapturing the form he displayed in 2013 and 2014 before the patella tendon injury wiped him out for two years.
His ability to cover the ground and get to stoppage after stoppage is returning and his clean ball-handling skills never left him.
Always regarded as a rare player who is just as good inside or outside the contest, some at the Suns considered him on track to be as effective at stoppages as Chris Judd once was at West Coast and Carlton.
All that is missing now is the change of speed that can leave opponents sniffing his dust.
O'Meara told 3AW during the week the confidence in his legs was building but he had not yet reached a point where he was satisfied.
"It's taken me a little while to get the confidence back in my legs and I am still not where I want to be," O'Meara said.
In the first two rounds this season, O'Meara has disposed of the ball by foot 47 per cent of the time, making him more damaging and Mitchell's perfect partner in crime.
Finding such players to support Mitchell has become a priority for the Hawks with Clarkson making no secret of the fact he wants the 24-year-old former Swan to be a part of the jigsaw rather than the only piece.
"At some point in time, if we become too reliant on [Mitchell], then that is not going to be great for our side because if he either gets injured or just happens to have an off day, then that leaves a pretty big hole in our side," Clarkson said.
O'Meara, 24, is happy to be part of that cast, along with Liam Shiels, Isaac Smith, Ricky Henderson and the plethora of small forwards who whip through the midfield like laser beams when required.
"I think that's why Hawthorn has always been so good in the years gone by because they have always had that team [first] mentality and try to play as a united team," O'Meara said.
The other part of the package O'Meara brings to Hawthorn relates to his off-field persona, a clean-living professional with a friendly demeanour who will prepare to be at his best.
Those who know him suspect he will grow into a leadership role at the Hawks once he has a few years of football behind him, humble enough to know he needs to earn his stripes and back up week after week before he can start directing traffic.
That part of his personality has ensured he remains good friends with junior teammates such as the Giants' Stephen Coniglio and many of his former teammates at the Suns.
They understood and respected his reasons for moving and they also knew Hawthorn's track record in reviving the fortunes of players with injury worries gave him confidence things could turn out right.
After all, Shaun Burgoyne arrived from Port Adelaide with a knee problem in 2010 and has played 186 games with the Hawks since, his run of 107-consecutive games only coming to an end this week.
Throw in Cyril Rioli, Shane Crawford and even Luke Hodge as Hawks who looked, at various stages, like injuries might catch up with them before Andrew Russell and his team at the Hawks went to work, and you can see why the club attracted O'Meara.
Now, after just two rounds, any of the doubters can see why O'Meara was appealing to the Hawks who have him in the right frame of mind to play well, if his comments in February are anything to go by.
"I don't feel like I need to repay the faith. I want to play as good a footy as I can for Hawthorn, to manage my body, play to the best of my ability and stay on track," O'Meara said.
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Peter Ryan joined The Age in 2017 having covered AFL as a senior reporter with AFL Media.
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