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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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Keystone agony said:
If it hadnt settled walking off the track a good coach would raise the dust up in front of the group and have the 2 players talk about what occured.

Usually coming to 'Sorry was in heat of the moment, nothing against you Package or Red dog'
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Sounds like the kind of thing Heppell would come up with. Extinguish that fire in the belly guys, we're only here to have a good time.
 
yodellinhank said:
Sounds like the kind of thing Heppell would come up with. Extinguish that fire in the belly guys, we're only here to have a good time.
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Fire in the bellys great

Letting it go further to cause divides amongst the group can be fatal. Nipping it in the bud important
 
Keystone agony said:
Fire in the bellys great

Letting it go further to cause divides amongst the group can be fatal. Nipping it in the bud important
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You're thinking of the old regime. There'll be no bud nipping anymore. Nobody getting comfortable. Players should be taking each other to task. Anyone with hurt feelings can go.
 

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yodellinhank said:
You're thinking of the old regime. There'll be no bud nipping anymore. Nobody getting comfortable. Players should be taking each other to task. Anyone with hurt feelings can go.
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Meh I think you’re confusing honest feedback with allowing rifts / cliques

You can have brutal honesty AND a united group, even if feathers are ruffled at times
 

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TheUnicorn said:
hopefully just his middle leg.
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i see what you did there cas GIF
 

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Nifft said:
Apparently they're now friends, and one day they were shooting clay pigeons and Paul turned the gun towards Vinnie and dared him to try and grab him now. Sport was different back then, but it's good they can put that behind them and be mates.
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Personally I think the guy at the back was a prick. Why didn't he reach around?
 
Reports of back soreness
  • Index

    • AFL news 2023: Jake Stringer dealing with back soreness​

    Jake Stringer was excellent in Essendon match simulation last week but soreness has forced him to ease his training loads back. Get all the latest from Bomberland here.


    Essendon forward Jake Stringer has been put on light duties to overcome some back soreness before the practice matches ramp up.
    The superstar goal kicker was absent from Bombers’ main training on Thursday as the rest of his teammates completed a two-hour session at Tullamarine.
    Stringer, 28, was excellent in some match simulation playing mostly forward last Wednesday, but the matchwinner had to wind back his training this week.
    Instead, Stringer completed some indoor training and was seen in a lengthy conversation with medicos on the boundary line late in the session.

    The Bombers said Stringer was dealing with some soreness and were hopeful he will increase his training loads from Saturday in a bid to hit the season at full fitness in a dangerous forward role.
    Stringer signed a bumper new deal after an outstanding 2021 season, however his preparation for last season was severely limited by a debilitating pre-season groin problem.

    He kicked 25 goals across 15 games last year and produced a brilliant late burst to pip Sydney Swans in Round 16 at the MCG, but did not finish inside the top-10 of the best and fairest.
    Stringer will attempt to rediscover his best form under new coach Brad Scott who has been lauded for his impact at Essendon helping simplify the coaching message, ramp up the forward pressure and stiffen the defensive operations over summer.
     
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    Traded #25: Jake Stringer - 📦 Traded to GWS for Pick #53 - 16/10

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