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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

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.”
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really the guy is on, what, 700k? he's overweight for his job. not that hard separate the 'fat shaming' from the 'professionalism'.

i'd hope brad scott has the balls to tell him his place is contingent on meeting certain fitness criteria. too long has this shit been allowed at our club.
 

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Injury Update: Modified program until Christmas due to groin soreness - 26/11
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    • He is hardly in shocking state. Maybe 3kg over his ideal playing weight right now. Also has a minor injury issue at the moment.
     
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    • ant555 said:
    He is hardly in shocking state. Maybe 3kg over his ideal playing weight right now. Also has a minor injury issue at the moment.
    Click to expand...
    ^^This

    I expected to see Mick Nolan when I read the comments. Seriously, in a professional modern footy club he could trim up in 2 weeks if he wanted to with all the dietitians, trainers etc.
     

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    I was having a laugh reading the last couple pages as I thought people were just taking the piss, as Jake is a pretty easy target given his history with his fitness.

    Joking aside, it's good he came back a couple weeks early, shows good commitment. The whole team realise that fitness has been constantly pointed out as a failing at the club, so anyone who doesn't put in 110% over the pre-season is going to be highlighted next year by the media, and I doubt any of them would want that.
     
    Some shit calls in this thread.. we are 4 session into preseason. Jake wasn’t fit last year due to injury so not surprising to see him come back not being absolutely shredded. He’s on the track early and putting in the work.. if you aren’t happy with that you have no idea.. oh yeah big footy…
     
    Look, he’s allowed to be a bit behind the 8 ball I guess, and yep an injury. He can likely still get fit enough.

    But I will say that some of the people defending him are the same who post about being sick of mediocrity at the club

    Look at Nic Martin’s off season and the shape he is in. Think about how powerful it would be to see our talismanic, well paid match winner come back ahead of the curve instead of behind it, and the message that would send to others
     

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    TheGreatBarryB said:
    Sounds a bit more than just not flogging him…Age said today that he’ll be severely restricted as he continues to deal with groin soreness and training will be modified until Xmas.
    Click to expand...
    Depends which article you read.
    Anyway for what it is worth my info is modified program until Christmas. Has had a very minor soft tissue injury which he is now over. My training spy says he was moving well yesterday and looks to have dropped a couple of kg since he has been back. No mention of severely restricted. Of course continual groin issues hint at OP which no one is saying but if it is there is a chance it may flare up under more workload.
     
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    Traded #25: Jake Stringer - 📦 Traded to GWS for Pick #53 - 16/10

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