Remove this Banner Ad

Traded #25: Jake Stringer - 📦 Traded to GWS for Pick #53 - 16/10

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Reader mode
Whilst many of our players have had interrupted pre-seasons it sounds like Stringer is as fit as he's ever been in his time here

www.foxsports.com.au

AFL 2020: Jake Stringer Essendon, best pre-season ever, Bombers injuries

In the midst of his club’s wretched summer injury run, Essendon gun Jake Stringer says he’s never been in better shape after experiencing one of his best and smoothest pre-seasons of his AFL career.
www.foxsports.com.au

In the midst of his club’s wretched summer injury run, Essendon gun Jake Stringer says he’s never been in better shape after experiencing one of his best and smoothest pre-seasons of his AFL career.

A host of key Bombers have, at different stages over the past few months, battled a range of injuries or suffered setbacks, including Joe Daniher (groin), Cale Hooker (hip), Dylan Shiel (knee) David Zaharakis (knee), Dyson Heppell (foot), Michael Hurley (shoulder) and Orazio Fantasia (hip).

However Stringer, who battled foot, knee and hamstring issues to play 19 of a possible 23 games in 2019, has not just been a constant presence on the track, but also one of Essendon’s best trainers.

In his eighth AFL pre-season, Stringer recently ran a personal best in the 2km time trial, slashing a whopping 20 seconds off his previous top time.

Asked on SEN Breakfast how he was going physically, Stringer cheekily said: “I’m borderline flying at the minute … nah I’m going well.”

The 25-year-old said it’d been “one of the hardest pre-seasons I’ve ever done”. He hailed the influence of the Bombers’ new head of strength and conditioning Sean Murphy, who’s come across from Hawthorn and “really tested us physically and mentally”.

“Not being injured is a massive part and I don't think I've missed a session the whole pre-season, which is all you can ask for when you go into a pre-season is complete as many sessions as you can. I’d be probably in the top one or two at the club that hasn’t missed,” Stringer told SEN on Friday morning.

Asked if it’d been one of his smoothest AFL pre-seasons yet, Stringer declared: “Yeah, by far.

“Last year was pretty good, but this year’s been taken to a new level with Sean Murphy coming across. He's really pushed the boundaries with me.

“It's been a hard slog and, don't worry, I'm looking forward to playing and getting out of this pre-season phase.”

Even though Stringer is “flying”, he said seven or eight teammates are still not in full training, but the “majority of them were running”.

“Not everything's gone to plan, obviously. There's been a few blokes that are still not quite into full training, but that's part of football and part of the pre-season. You’ve just got to deal with whatever comes,” Stringer said.

He later added: “We’re in a great position to able to springboard into the season and hopefully get a few more of these top echelon blokes back.”

The first-round draft pick kicked 98.55 for the Bulldogs in 2015 and 2016 before being traded ahead of the 2018 season to the Bombers, where he’s spent recent summers training with the on-ballers.

Stringer said the plan was still for him to play a mixture of midfield and forward minutes this season, but added he’d been training primarily with the attacking group this pre-season and “honing in on my craft as a forward”.

Stringer said Essendon’s succession plan, which will see senior coach John Worsfold gradually hand the reins to assistant Ben Rutten throughout 2020, was working well. He said Worsfold was at the club everyday and engaged with the players, but Rutten took charge of all tactical discussions and meetings.

“The work that John and Ben have done together has been absolutely outstanding and literally the smoothest transition that you could possibly ever see. It's a credit to both of them how well it's actually gone,” Stringer said.

“I couldn’t be happier with where the club is at the minute.”

Stringer said there’d be a noticeable but not dramatic change to the club’s game plan this season.

“It’ll definitely be a lot more consistent,” Stringer said.

“From a whole learning (process) and even in training, you’re seeing it more and more every time we’re doing bits of match ‘sim’. I think it’ll be very noticeable when people come to watch us.”
Click to expand...
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

I ****ing love this man, he is currently one of the most balanced forwards going around. In the air and on the ground, competing against multiple opponents.
 
Other than the reluctance to give first option, absolute jet.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Stopher said:
Him, Joe, Tippa and Raz in the same forward line. How often has this happened?

Clearly not enough!
Click to expand...

Twice. Rounds 3 and 4 last year. Our loss to the Dogs and our win over the Power.

Stringer, JD, AMT, Raz and McKernan - probably our favoured combo - have never played together.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Very impressed with his contribution, good on you Jake. I like many have followed the trouncing you have received for your personal life in the media while being traded and your reaction is great to see for the EFC and you personally. He has been one of the most consistent performers for us this year and has been a genuine steal in the trade market.
 
One knock on him. Just one.

He tries taking on 3-4 players to score the hero goal when there's another option inside 50. He does that once or twice almost every game. Should look to pass when players are open.

Other than that, gun.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

eth-dog said:
Sometimes a disposal can count as both somehow. I don't know the specifics.
Click to expand...

I had the same thought - perhaps if you win it in a contested situation, run away and then dispose of the ball in an uncontested manner? Not sure, seems to be over complicating things for the sake of it.
 
JayJ20 said:
One knock on him. Just one.

He tries taking on 3-4 players to score the hero goal when there's another option inside 50. He does that once or twice almost every game. Should look to pass when players are open.

Other than that, gun.
Click to expand...

I notice that too. I always find myself thinking 'if 4 blokes are tackling him, how many of our blokes are free to give the ball off to?'
 
cAsEy_18 said:
I had the same thought - perhaps if you win it in a contested situation, run away and then dispose of the ball in an uncontested manner? Not sure, seems to be over complicating things for the sake of it.
Click to expand...
Every free kick is a contested possession, so maybe a handball receive before you get taken high counts as both?
 
One thing that's a bit weird with Jake, when he has a set shot from a really tight angle on the boundary or deep in the pocket, I'm really confident he will slot the goal. And he normally does.

The easier shot from less acute angles is where he can still be a bit iffy. It's really odd.

Very happy with how he's going overall though.
 
Reader mode

Remove this Banner Ad

Similar threads

RedmanWasHere
    • Like
Delisted 47: Oskar Smartt - Delisted as of 22/09/25
5 6 7 8 9
Replies
211
Views
16K
DERO
DERO

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top Bottom