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

[faible]

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.”

 

[The Prosecutor]

What number do we think he'll get?

5

 

[BomberARMY]

25 + 30= 55

 

[akiva]

I am pretty optimistic about Stringer. What happened should have shown him how tenous his AFL time is and that he needs to make the most of it. Woosha reckons he has brought into the Essendon 'values' (although hard to tell over coffee I guess). He also has a significant challenge to get his teeth into viz. having an impact as a big bodied mid when his turn comes - this will add variety to his training.

I think Woosha would be very wary about the guy after what he went through with Cousins at WC. Hopefully he believes Jake's issues can be sorted so it doesn't effect the playing group (like it probably did at WB).

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Any chance we reach out to our good mate The Ox to have a chat to Stringer about gambling?

 

[DapperJong]

250,000

 

[Beerfish]

250,000

LOL I knew when I saw you'd posted what it was going to be.

 

[ghostdog]

Welcome to EFC, Jake. I hope you make the best of this chance.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

250,000

I honestly can't believe no one has offered up the obvious one yet. But this is a fantastic entry.

EDIT: It's either 69 (for obvious, too far reasons) or the all-important 11 (stiff shit Zakka)

 

[Old Campaigner]

yay, I can have my thread back

Hey now let's just hold our horses a tad here. FFS.

never in doubt

 

[The Prosecutor]

17

 

[mickd]

11 or 26

 

[Dennis Trumpet]

25.30

 

[Don Won]

I heard BT has already requested every Essendon game for next year ; )

I’d say that our recruitment earned us an extra couple of prime time games this year

 

[HirdyLannister]

Dream scenario will be first game in 2018 Stringer starts in the middle and gets the first clearance and kicks it inside 50 to Daniher

 

[Lance Uppercut]

5

shame about Stewart because 17 would be so appropriate

 

[windyhill]

Get your head and body right Jake. We all know what he can do. It's gunna be fun.

 

[the PILL]

I never realised he was 6.4...

I'll admit it... Just like BJ I couldn't stand him but always been able to respect his talent...

Pretty excited at the nightmare our Forward Line has now become for other teams...

Welcome Jake, You Lovable prick!

 

[Laverde2Smack]

Our forward line has some serious X-factor rolling through it now with Raz, Tippa and Stringer.... oh and Green, how could I forget him!

You forgot Daniher.

Sent from my F3115 using Tapatalk

 

[Doss]

How long is his contract?

 

[akiva]

Dream scenario will be first game in 2018 Stringer starts in the middle and gets the first clearance and kicks it inside 50 to Daniher

against the Dogs!!!

 

[Bombermania]

I think Woosha would be very wary about the guy after what he went through with Cousins at WC. Hopefully he believes Jake's issues can be sorted so it doesn't effect the playing group (like it probably did at WB).

If everything has been publicly revealed then it would appear that the Jake situation is very different to Cousin's issues as in Jake made the mistake of sleeping around and gambling which isn't the same as drug use which while being just as addictive does seem easier to overcome than drug use.

 

[Duckworth]

How long is his contract?

2021

 

[Bombermania]

Our supporters booed him in 2017, months after he played in a premiership. They won't let the fact we pushed him out get in the way, haha.

I'll remember Jake the player fondly, to have someone so explosive around the sticks when you play a chaotic style of footy with lots of forward fifty entries is a lot of fun. You'll enjoy him.

It'll hurt me to see him fulfill his potential in your jumper, but I hope he gets his life together for his family.

What caused that booing, sounds like a replacement for Stanton (tongue in cheek) since he copped booing from his own supporters.

 

[mickd]

2021

How much per year? $600k?

 

[Duckworth]

How much per year? $600k?

I would only be guessing, but that would be around the mark.