JAEGER O'Meara isn't one for too much reminiscing or looking back in general.

The Hawthorn midfielder dealt with more to age 24 than most of his AFL peers, including a right knee problem that forced him to face his football mortality, even though he says he never feared for his career.

For O'Meara, the future is a more exciting proposition than the past, and part of that includes his maiden AFL finals appearance in four days' time.

The Hawks, of course, will duke it out with reigning premier Richmond – the first time the two titans have met in a final – in front of a sell-out MCG crowd on Thursday night to kick off September.

That upcoming experience elicited some rare nostalgia from O'Meara.

GET TO THE GAME All your finals ticketing info

"Obviously, it's my first finals campaign, so I was pretty pumped (when we qualified)," O'Meara told AFL.com.au.

"When I figured out that we had secured the top-four spot, I was just ecstatic and couldn't really wipe the smile off the face – I felt like a little kid.

"I played in a Grand Final when I was 16 at my local club (Railways), back home in Dongara (about 350 kilometres north-northwest of Perth), and it took me back to that moment, so I was pretty pumped."

Some digging into O'Meara's past revealed why that on-field moment as a teenager remains so special to him almost a decade on.

He was already viewed as a prime AFL prospect by that stage and spent that year he referred to devoting his time to the Western Australia under-16 cause.

O'Meara made his senior debut in the preliminary final, then a week later in the Grand Final he won the Guardian Medal for best player afield as Railways ended a 21-year premiership drought.

He played on the wing that day, with a 15-year-old kid by the name of Jack Martin – a future Gold Coast teammate – playing for the opposing Towns side.

Railways and Towns players and officials still speak in hushed tones about the spectacle the teenage stars put on that day.

Martin remains at the Suns, who are yet to play finals in their eight-year history, whereas O'Meara left for Hawthorn in a much-discussed deal in the 2016 Trade Period.

O'Meara's first season in brown and gold was much like his last two at Gold Coast, where he failed to play a senior game because of an ongoing patella-related issue in his right knee.

The 2013 NAB AFL Rising Star played the first three matches for the Hawks last year, but only three thereafter because of another knee injury.

But O'Meara dispelled doubts about his body this year in playing 20 matches and featuring in some key Hawthorn moments, including slotting the game-sealer against Geelong in round 21.

"(My injury past) is, perhaps, a bit of a motivation for me, but I don't think about it too much," he said.

"I try and put it behind me a bit and not dwell on things.

"I'm really positive about my footy and enjoying literally running out on the ground every weekend and playing with my teammates."

Captain Jarryd Roughead, a grizzled veteran of four premierships, has already spoken about the "look" on O'Meara's face as the Hawks firstly locked in a finals berth then the double chance.

The former Sun became a significant source of inspiration for his teammates after a second disappointing loss to Brisbane in round 17.

Hawthorn has since won six straight matches – Sydney, Geelong and Essendon were among its scalps – following that defeat and an "honest" player discussion.

Shaun Burgoyne will line up in his 34th finals match on Thursday night, but O'Meara isn't the only Hawk set to take on the Tigers who has never played a post-season game.

Blake Hardwick, James Worpel, Harry Morrison and Conor Nash are in the same boat.

"We wanted to play finals footy and give guys like myself and some young guys who haven't a chance to be able to get in that position," O'Meara said.

"We are fortunate enough we get two cracks at it and hopefully we can get to the Big Dance.

"Richmond's been the best team throughout the year and backed up what they did last year, but the home-and-away season is done with now and I think anyone in the eight can win it."