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

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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

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.”

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Does he really love us though? Been noticing eyes wondering from time to time

 

[Blind Turn]

Seeing Jake line up in the guts is almost as gratifying as watching Warnie as he came in for the first ball of a new spell... almost...

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Best on ground according to the player ratings.

Love the way he's been used since he came back from injury.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

250 senior goals for the Package.

Just keeps presenting and presenting well.

 

[BrunoV]

Best on ground according to the player ratings.

Love the way he's been used since he came back from injury.

Have to say, he's an incredibly effective player when he's fit and able to play on ball as much as he is. I'd written it off but now that he looks (and must be) fit he's in the conversation as our best.

The amount of damage he can do attending >70% of centre bounces and getting the ball 15 to 20 times. It takes normal midfielders twice that number of possessions.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Further to my previous post, I hope Stringer can get to 400 career senior goals.

He's shown he has that in him.

 

[citizen-erased]

Have to say, he's an incredibly effective player when he's fit and able to play on ball as much as he is. I'd written it off but now that he looks (and must be) fit he's in the conversation as our best.

The amount of damage he can do attending >70% of centre bounces and getting the ball 15 to 20 times. It takes normal midfielders twice that number of possessions.

Broke so many tackles and was better than Cripps at being Cripps yday.
I do wonder if we start seeing the likes of Baldwin, Waterman, Eyre coming up, does he work on getting into the middle more.

 

[Howard Moon]

Broke so many tackles and was better than Cripps at being Cripps yday.
I do wonder if we start seeing the likes of Baldwin, Waterman, Eyre coming up, does he work on getting into the middle more.

I think it's a honey trap. Hes not a midfielder, he gets lost around the ground in normal midfield duties but he is a perfect centre stoppage player when everything is compartmentalized into one play.

I say his role now is the perfect one for him...take the centre square then roll forward

 

[carnthedons]

I think it's a honey trap. Hes not a midfielder, he gets lost around the ground in normal midfield duties but he is a perfect centre stoppage player when everything is compartmentalized into one play.

I say his role now is the perfect one for him...take the centre square then roll forward

#striker

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Broke so many tackles and was better than Cripps at being Cripps yday.
I do wonder if we start seeing the likes of Baldwin, Waterman, Eyre coming up, does he work on getting into the middle more.

Nope. He's not a mid. He's a power athlete. The current role suits him perfectly - be the big body at the centre bounce and then just stay in the forward half.

 

[yodellinhank]

Nope. He's not a mid. He's a power athlete. The current role suits him perfectly - be the big body at the centre bounce and then just stay in the forward half.

One of the commentators was talking about Rutten trying to play Stringer in the Dusty role. It would be really effective if Stringer had the tank to bluff the oppo into thinking he was going to spend time in the midfield.

 

[Howard Moon]

One of the commentators was talking about Rutten trying to play Stringer in the Dusty role. It would be really effective if Stringer had the tank to bluff the oppo into thinking he was going to spend time in the midfield.

Dusty role is plumb....you get to run around doing no defending while your teammates pick up the slack

 

[yodellinhank]

Dusty role is plumb....you get to run around doing no defending while your teammates pick up the slack

It is true that the throat punching fend off is more of an attacking move

 

[Zach Package]

Dusty role is plumb....you get to run around doing no defending while your teammates pick up the slack

Just draft 8 players to do the defensive running for him while he cheats out the back, easy peasy!

The one thing I will say about Stringer is that he can be a bit of a liability when he’s not the target player in the centre bounces, need to pair him with someone with a bit of a defensive mind like McGrath or Caldwell when he does go in there.

Looking good at the moment though

 

[Bunk Moreland]

 

[ant555]

Not good. He generally takes a few games to find form once he gets back as well.

 

[citizen-erased]

Not good. He generally takes a few games to find form once he gets back as well.

Bye & trip out west may help out here, depending how long this keeps him out.
Ideally we're being super conservative this year and not risking players for wins, so this isn't so bad.

 

[MiguelM]

Any word on severity?

 

[Seb78]

Any word on severity?

Low grade, will miss 1-2 according to Ch 7 news.

 

[JayJ20]

Low grade, will miss 1-2 according to Ch 7 news.

That's a relief. Much better than the 8-10 weeks we're accustomed to.

 

[Donakebab]

Low grade, will miss 1-2 according to Ch 7 news.

He ded.

 

[Seb78]

That's a relief. Much better than the 8-10 weeks we're accustomed to.

True, but their 1-2 could easily translate to 4-6 sadly .
Stringer himself was interviewed post scan and said 1 maybe 2.

 

[Old Campaigner]

True, but their 1-2 could easily translate to 4-6 sadly .
Stringer himself was interviewed post scan and said 1 maybe 2.

And before you know it it’ll be 8-10

 

[yodellinhank]

And before you know it it’ll be 8-10

Weeks or kilos?

 

[Old Campaigner]

Weeks or kilos?

Yes