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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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From Brad Scott's interview.

He had been playing sore for most of 2022 and being a power type player he lacked the power because of his groin issues. So the plan was to strip things back and train him up in the right area to get him back to full power. If that sets him back in conditioning for round 1 then they will live with that.

Notice he did a little bit of work with the main group today but did not do match sim from all reports.
 
ant555 said:
Just looked it up. Have found sites saying he was drafted at 92 kg and the AFL site 94kg. I thought it was 90kg. He is currently listed at 95. So you are saying he should be able to get under the weight he was when he was 18 ? Have to ask have you ever had to deal with weight issues yourself ? They guy is still within 3kg of the weight he was 10 years ago. It has nothing to do with his diet. He is almost guaranteed to be over 105kg when he retires. And do you know his diet is off track or is it just another 1+1=3
And no not all AFL players are athletes. They are highly trained but they are not all natural athletes.
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You’re giving him way too much benefit of doubt for a guy who has constantly fluctuated in weight and fitness due to his professionalism and training standards. If he diet was constantly on track he wouldn’t be rocking up with puppy fat every off season and every time he misses 4/5 weeks off footy. You could almost guarantee he wouldn’t watch his diet like some of the pros in the league that are eagle eyed on everything they put into their body, like a Dylan shiel or Travis boak., a lot of players don’t have a professional diet but can get away with it by having a great metabolism.
 

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andleanback said:
You’re giving him way too much benefit of doubt for a guy who has constantly fluctuated in weight and fitness due to his professionalism and training standards. If he diet was constantly on track he wouldn’t be rocking up with puppy fat every off season and every time he misses 4/5 weeks off footy. You could almost guarantee he wouldn’t watch his diet like some of the pros in the league that are eagle eyed on everything they put into their body, like a Dylan shiel or Travis boak., a lot of players don’t have a professional diet but can get away with it by having a great metabolism.
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Yep his weight has fluctuated around 5kg or 6kg over a 10 year period.
Do tell me what facts you have about his diet ? been hiding in the bushes at the KFC drive through ? Looking in his window at night ? going through his rubbish ? or just total guess work ?
I am not denying he has had periods where he has not looked after himself 100% but the fact is he could hardly drop a lot more weight if he is within 5kg of his weight 10 years ago.
I think I will go with what the coach has said about him and what is going on.
 
Keystone agony said:
Kornes goes whack
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Not surprised. I like how Korn always owns what he says but he also goes off without a lot of facts and he still has not worked out that he does not have to get it if people do something differently to him. Maybe it would pay him to listen what the coach has said about his preparation this week.
 
ant555 said:
Not surprised. I like how Korn always owns what he says but he also goes off without a lot of facts and he still has not worked out that he does not have to get it if people do something differently to him. Maybe it would pay him to listen what the coach has said about his preparation this week.
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What Scott said does not counteract / contradict what Kornes said. Scott said he’s being managed because of his groin. Kornes effectively said Stringer’s skin folds are poor and that is likely a contributor to his injury history.

I like Cornes as a straight shooter too though I agree he goes off half cocked often. But not sure this is one of those times.
 

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fairbump_playon said:
What Scott said does not counteract / contradict what Kornes said. Scott said he’s being managed because of his groin. Kornes effectively said Stringer’s skin folds are poor and that is likely a contributor to his injury history.

I like Cornes as a straight shooter too though I agree he goes off half cocked often. But not sure this is one of those times.
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Well it does as Scott simply said they are not worried about him being 2 or 3 kg over his playing weight right now. His skin folds the last two seasons have been fine in the pre season. His condition deteriorated once he missed a lot of training due to injury and then came back without the conditioning. It may have contributed in a few of the past seasons (2016,2017,2020) but not in the last two seasons when he was fit and lean in early Jan but failed to make it to make it to round 1.
People need to learn that there are a small percentage of people who can put on 5kg on a normal healthy diet if they can not train at a high level.
 
andleanback said:
Anyone playing afl is an athlete, come on now.
So an pre draft injury affects your ability to change your diet, because he broke his leg he’ll never be able to cut weight?

His shape View attachment 1602738at the end of 2017
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Pretty sure that was the first preseason with us where we tried to turn him in to a midfielder and he lost all his power and couldn't do the spectacular things that Stringer can do when he has that strength and power.

If he could run midfield loads and maintain his power he'd be a Dustin Martin level player. He can't, so we'll just have to be content that he's still one of the most dynamic medium forwards in the comp that can play a cameo role at centre bounces.
 
Didn't play the intra yesterday but might've done some of the warm ups coz he's in the photo deck;

Stringer.jpg copy.jpg
 
He says get stuffed to the doubters. :)
 
fairbump_playon said:
What Scott said does not counteract / contradict what Kornes said. Scott said he’s being managed because of his groin. Kornes effectively said Stringer’s skin folds are poor and that is likely a contributor to his injury history.

I like Cornes as a straight shooter too though I agree he goes off half cocked often. But not sure this is one of those times.
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Cornes isn’t a straight shooter, he’s just a click ****. He says whatever will get the most attention, that’s why SEN and Channel 9 love him. Calling blokes fat is just one of the things he has.
 
MiguelM said:
Smart imo. He is a burst player at his best. Always a compromise between strength and endurance. Too much of one and you lose the other.

For Stringer, he doesn't need super endurance of a midfielder and with more depth there he will probably only spend 5 minute bursts in the midfield and only if needed there.
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Like anything you can be seduced by what he can do with his ability but there seems to be a number of factors in limiting being able to produce that level. I think what you say is where we are at. We need him on the field as a 40 to 50 goal forward and someone that can take the odd center bounce.
 

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Just on his broken leg. From what I know it gives him an awkward running gate that puts pressure on other parts of his body which is why he was always on some sort of modified program with the Dogs. I know my view is the minority and that others have different opinions which is fine. From what I know it is not just a black and white issue with him being over weight and diet. Yes he has had seasons where he has let himself down with a lack of professionalism and preparation including one with us but there have been other factors involved in the last two seasons.
 
Asked if the local clubs are still the place to go. Big night coming up for Jakey.
 
ant555 said:
Well it does as Scott simply said they are not worried about him being 2 or 3 kg over his playing weight right now. His skin folds the last two seasons have been fine in the pre season. His condition deteriorated once he missed a lot of training due to injury and then came back without the conditioning. It may have contributed in a few of the past seasons (2016,2017,2020) but not in the last two seasons when he was fit and lean in early Jan but failed to make it to make it to round 1.
People need to learn that there are a small percentage of people who can put on 5kg on a normal healthy diet if they can not train at a high level.
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Or that Scott is publicly backing him while privately annoyed
 
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Traded #25: Jake Stringer - 📦 Traded to GWS for Pick #53 - 16/10

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