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.”

 

[Ambrosia]

3 years at 500k a year ... just get it done

Very important player…would pay even more

Youre not concerned that this slimmed down fitter version of Stringer is the product of him being in a contract year?

Stringer is good in his role for us but let’s not get carried away and overpay him.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Youre not concerned that this slimmed down fitter version of Stringer is the product of him being in a contract year?

Stringer is good in his role for us but let’s not get carried away and overpay him.

Not at all. Think he was rushed back last season..and hub and all. Came back well this year from pre season injury

 

[Ambrosia]

Not at all. Think he was rushed back last season..and hub and all. Came back well this year from pre season injury

What was his excuse for getting fat whilst rehabbing the ankle injury? You can’t overpay a guy with a proven track record of average professionalism just because he made a decent fist of it in a contract year.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

What was his excuse for getting fat whilst rehabbing the ankle injury? You can’t overpay a guy with a proven track record of average professionalism just because he made a decent fist of it in a contract year.

Don’t think he was even fat was he? I don’t think paying over $500k is overpaying him. I mean Crameri got $400k a season when Dogs signed him a number of years ago

 

[andleanback]

Don’t think he was even fat was he? I don’t think paying over $500k is overpaying him. I mean Crameri got $400k a season when Dogs signed him a number of years ago

He was fat

 

[Pweter]

Stringer was lacking condition.

The forward pocket plodding around in the reserves of 98% of country football sides is fat.

 

[ant555]

He was fat

And had limited training options in lock down while rehabbing the injury. The club knew the circumstances which was why they played some fitness base back into him.

 

[ant555]

He is worth $600k over two or $550 over three.

 

[eth-dog]

I'd give him a 3 year deal. He's one of our most important players and Hooker realistically will struggle beyond next year, even if he gets that far. We need him and Wright to somewhat protect the kids over that period of time.

 

[ant555]

I'd give him a 3 year deal. He's one of our most important players and Hooker realistically will struggle beyond next year, even if he gets that far. We need him and Wright to somewhat protect the kids over that period of time.

Two with a trigger for a third at the end of the second.

 

[eth-dog]

Two with a trigger for a third at the end of the second.

Happy with that as well.

 

[ant555]

A lot seems to be made of his lack of professionalism but the facts are last year was different for everyone. He was not in tip top condition when he came back but neither where a lot of players across the league. Not everyone was cheerful and jolly during the lock down period and some struggled with it more than others. People are not generic. Sometimes they struggle. Lets just say that for a short period Jake struggle with the timing of the injury and the lock down before heading into the bubble. The usual support was not in place.
He had a good pre season leading into 2020 and another good pre season this year before he was injured in Jan and has been totally professional in the way he has come back from that. On top of that he has always had trouble with work loads after his broken leg so his training is never straight forward.
He played 20 and 19 games the first two seasons with us.

 

[Bjchan13]

Commit to making him a bomber for life. He wants to stay. We are a better team with him in the side. 4 years x 550k base. Bonuses for leading goal kicker, bnf wins/top 5. If he ever plays 18 games in a season in this centre bounce/forward role he does so well he will easily win a Crichton. Maybe he's not a classic/obvious leader to some, but since he's come to us from the dogs he's become one. Last year with the syndesmosis injury, he gets a pass 1. He was a top 3 player for us before the injury 2. He went home to Melbourne from the hub in the middle of the first covid year when most of our team/staff were based in QLD 3. He has young kids to look after 4. He was brought back from injury early and there was no VFL. Is it really that much of surprise he wasn't in perfect nick? He's not a robot. He's flawed like all humans and tbh i wouldn't want him to change. He has character and he's a matchwinner.

 

[the PILL]

Tom Morris: May 18th, 2021 1:57 pm

He also revealed Bombers mid-forward Jake Stringer is seeking a lengthy new contract - and if it doesn’t eventuate, it could see him looking for a third AFL club.

“Essendon needs to stump up a 4 year deal for Stringer to stay, is my understanding. He wants career certainty. If they offer 2 or 3 then he may look elsewhere,”


Bit torn on this one, he is amazing and can do the freakish when fit and on but i still don't think we've seen his full potential unleashed.

Don't want to lose him but 4 years is pretty lenghty considering that he seems to get injured a quite a bit.

 

[boncer34]

Tom Morris: May 18th, 2021 1:57 pm

He also revealed Bombers mid-forward Jake Stringer is seeking a lengthy new contract - and if it doesn’t eventuate, it could see him looking for a third AFL club.

“Essendon needs to stump up a 4 year deal for Stringer to stay, is my understanding. He wants career certainty. If they offer 2 or 3 then he may look elsewhere,”


Bit torn on this one, he is amazing and can do the freakish when fit and on but i still don't think we've seen his full potential unleashed.

Don't want to lose him but 4 years is pretty lenghty considering that he seems to get injured a quite a bit.

That reads like pure guesswork from Morris. "Bombers are gonna offer x but if they don't offer x + 1 then he'll walk."

 

[astrowizzle]

I'd give him 4 but he hatd to show up each season to a certain level of fitness. he's one of my favourite players and I was against getting him in the first place

 

[andleanback]

3 plus a trigger. Its not like they have to worry about him going interstate. So there isnt many options for him, that would offer more.

 

[Keystone agony]

Like the 4th year trigger because his body is really starting to battle

 

[Shane Heard]

Give him 4 years. He’s nearly as fit as he can get this year. Trimmed down considerably.
Hamstrings can happen to anyone at any age. He’s a big boy carrying a lot of muscle in his legs and rump

Role the dice and see how he goes in the next few years.

He’s a genuine A grade talent and ####ed if I want to see him playing for anyone else.

 

[yodellinhank]

Package his bags

 

[the PILL]

That reads like pure guesswork from Morris. "Bombers are gonna offer x but if they don't offer x + 1 then he'll walk."

I agree, sort of sounds like blatant obvious end of contract chatter but the "wants four years or may look elsewhere" is not a bad datum line for discussion on Jake.

He's hard to quantify. X-factor out the wazoo, very valuable at clearances (albeit never really fit enough for continuous on ball efforts), difficult matchup for opposition down forward but also quite injury prone, can be a bit wayward with fitness and 27yo... 3+1 around the 500/550k, maybe 600 if he lit the rest of the year up?

 

[andleanback]

Like the 4th year trigger because his body is really starting to battle

He hasnt had an uninterupted season since he got here. I actually cant think of a team in vic that would have space to get him/ is also contending. Plus he isnt a FA so also having draft capital.

 

[bennyg12]

Give him 4 and move on

 

[11kgm]

3 plus 1 blokes made of glass

 

[Schnitzengruben]

I think 3 with a trigger for a 4th would be fair, but I'd hate to lose him over 1 year.