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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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Reckon his life has been made easier by not feeling like he has to do everything also.

Since he got to the club he probably felt like he had to kick all the goals and get all the centre clearances. Now there's other players that are able to do that so he can do all the team things.
 
I thought Stringer was excellent last night. Didn't hit the scoreboard but his work in middle really allowed Caldwell and Hobbs to get into it. Selfless and tireless. The vision of him sprinting back to defend when Carlton were looking likely around their forward fifty arc was awesome to see, even if Stringer is no track star.
 

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This is the most complete body of work Stringer has put in for us. His will and want to do whatever the team requires in attack and defence is something I can't recall seeing. The attack element has always been there, it's the desire to defend and selflessness in his play that's making his game well rounded.
 
On Ch 9 news…went for scans on foot today. He said he’s had it for 3 weeks but reckons he won’t miss any games…! Not sure how he knows that if doesn’t know scan results …hopefully not a hot spot
 
Early season he was flying - between rounds 4 - 8 he was averaging 16 possessions and 2.4 goals a game and having plenty of impact around the contest
But he’s been noticeably off the last couple of games with just a games - 8 possessions and 1 goal a game and very little impact…
I kind of hope he is carrying a minor strain and maybe a week off and freshen up will allow him to get back to that early season form …



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MiguelM said:
Think he plays this week against his old side.

If he struggles rest him against the Swans or West coast IMO.
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Yeah your probably right - hope he can fire up and rediscover some of that early season form.
Maybe it’s just the calm before the storm and he’ll come out against his old side and have a blinder..!!


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Bombers36 said:
Yeah your probably right - hope he can fire up and rediscover some of that early season form.
Maybe it’s just the calm before the storm and he’ll come out against his old side and have a blinder..!!


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Only if he is not carrying something significant, hopefully he pushes through.

Marvel on Friday night against his old side is tailor made for a big game!
 
Still putting in his one third to a half a season. As is the case every year, except maybe 2021.

I maintain that we should have traded him last year. He's incredible when he's on, but goes missing either through form or injury far too often, and I'd argue doesn't fit the club's window.

Having said that, I doubt he'd net enough to warrant a trade now, but I do feel like the club missed an opportunity to offload him to a side happy to pay him for 10 good games a year in return for a pick in the 20s.
 
Did not get out of puffer jacket and join in at training on Friday alongside Ridley and Laverde for what it is worth. Might be a bit sore maybe?
 
ghostdog said:
VFL watchers; would Voss offer more than Stringer right now, given that Perkins has been taking his midfield minutes?
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Not in the slightest. Voss seems to have lost confidence …dropped two sitters yesterday and his last six weeks have been underwhelming
 
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Traded #25: Jake Stringer - 📦 Traded to GWS for Pick #53 - 16/10

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