AFL Player #25: Jake Stringer - The lo, rumour mill spins

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 19, Harlequin

 

[JayJ20]

Both act like faux tough guys. Well they probably are tough, but they both puff the chest and mouth off.

Stringer was a (redacted) while married, but yes people can change.

Laverde a faux tough guy? I strongly disagree with that. What has he ever done to upset people?
He's not a flog, he isn't soft, he works hard, he doesn't play dirty, opposition fans/players don't hate him, he wants to play for Essendon. When I think of faux tough guys, Laverde doesn't even register.

He's just not a skilled footballer and most people in the world aren't.

 

[Rick Ross]

Agree with all those saying our forward line is dysfunctional and we need more speed in there. Whilst I’m happy Stringer is likely going as he’s not part of any future EFC Premiership… he’s not the problem.

• Wright : slow.
• 2 rucks : slow.
• Slow small forwards - slow.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

The little gif at the top of this page confirms he is leaving.

 

[Mercurial89]

Both act like faux tough guys. Well they probably are tough, but they both puff the chest and mouth off.

Stringer was a (redacted) while married, but yes people can change.

I'd assume you have a pretty poor opinion of most AFL footballers if those are your issues.

 

[crackers65]

Could also see it worth while paying Stringer to be on our list next to years, playing no senior games, just so another team aren't benefited with him. EPL seem littered with those stories.

The likely draft trade return from Stringer to Pies is so piddling.

We need whatever points we can get for Kako. It would be silly to use up future picks when we will need all our future draft capital for Harley Reid.

 

[bombersim]

Yep I posted the stuff about the 3 men,
4 hours later McClure released an article in regards to Merrett.

This source that works at Essendon knows most of the situation.

It's a big deal without being a big deal.

The 3 haven't done anything really serious, unfortunately they act like immature shits when together and the club just believes that it's best for everyone to break them up.

Both Stringer and Leverde have been told once the contracts end, both won't be offered new deals.

Well, thanks for posting. I had no idea that they were trouble makers. Merrett in particular is a surprise, he seems like one of the few driven players at the club. Are you able to mention the type of stuff they’d get up to?

I’m relieved that some sanity is finally being restored at the club.

 

[jmoo wan]

Laverne drives a car to the shops when he should probably just walk

 

[blitzer]

With Stringer I kinda think we already saw (this year) his best and most consistent season that are we likely to get for the remainder of his career. Finished just outside top 10 in the Coleman, was a pretty reliable contributor, played every game and averaged about 2 goals a game. That's probably as good as its going to get for him as he's now on the wrong side of 30 and its not like he's the most professional trainer so you wouldn't bet on him to buck the trend regarding older athletes.

If you asked me what to expect next year and the year after - i'd say a similar average number of goals but likely to miss some games due to injury and possibly a bit of a decline in the 2nd year.

I would have kept him myself but I'm not going to be gutted if we let him go for a late 2nd early 3rd rounder or that sort of value. A 1 year deal would have been the perfect result from our side.

 

[quotemokc]

I'm still holding my breath but Stringer moving on is the correct move for a club that has been afraid to let players go.

He has been very good to us during his time here and I wish him well.

If Hawthorn let Franklin go, we sure as shit can do the same with Stringer.

 

[MiguelM]

I'm still holding my breath but Stringer moving on is the correct move for a club that has been afraid to let players go.

He has been very good to us during his time here and I wish him well.

If Hawthorn let Franklin go, we sure as shit can do the same with Stringer.

Yep, has been good for us but we need to find our next gen forwards.

I feel letting him go to Pies could be a win/win for both parties Pies old but could easily have one more tilt at flag. Definitely deserves more coin for 42 goals but we need to move forward too.

 

[DERO]

We really like to eat our own eh?

At the end of the day, whatever you think of Stringer, surely you can’t begrudge him the right to get the best deal possible for himself in the twilight of his career. He has 15 kids and multiple wives to feed you monsters.

 

[FootyGuru]

I kinda think the better route was to trade Langford for a first rounder and squeeze the last juice out of stringer in a rebuilding team.

We are definitely gonna miss his toughness and highlights. Might be a fairly boring side next season. Scott always went to stringer when he needed something to happen. At his best he is the second player that the opposition coaches worry about stopping after Merrett. I wonder how Langford will go without him. I don’t overly buy into the fit of the forward line it’s more stringers age that pushed him out.

He won’t be in our next flag side so I understand but I wish him well.

 

[84859300]

Not piling into him, as he came over and fit into our F50 - but was he ever 100% at his best fitness for a full year?

IMO he had the potential to be a 60+ goal forward if he was at optimal fitness.

It never seemed to me he was... and we got 40 max from his time. Now over 30 and not stripping weight any, his output will only reduce over the next few years.

Good time to cut ties.

 

[cAsEy_18]

I kinda think the better route was to trade Langford for a first rounder and squeeze the last juice out of stringer in a rebuilding team.

We are definitely gonna miss his toughness and highlights. Might be a fairly boring side next season. Scott always went to stringer when he needed something to happen. At his best he is the second player that the opposition coaches worry about stopping after Merrett. I wonder how Langford will go without him. I don’t overly buy into the fit of the forward line it’s more stringers age that pushed him out.

He won’t be in our next flag side so I understand but I wish him well.

What’s to “buy into”?

Take a look at all the current finals teams having success - Hawthorn, Geelong, GWS, Sydney, Brisbane and so on. They all have one thing in common - they play mobile forward lines with at least 3 good small forwards.

We currently play Caddy, Langford, Stringer, Jones and a 2nd ruck (not even including Wright) and no good small forwards. We are not dynamic nor are we the slightest bit mobile. Teams respond by running the ball out with ease and giving our already subpar defense even less chance.

That’s not all on Stringer. You could in fact have a good functioning forward line with stringer in it - but not one with 3-4 other mediums/talls. Replace stringer’s name with any of the others, and it’s the same conclusion.

Stringer doesn’t ‘have’ to be the one to go, but he sounds the most likely - and someone has to. But the fit and mix is an enormous issue for us.

 

[FootyGuru]

What’s to “buy into”?

Take a look at all the current finals teams having success - Hawthorn, Geelong, GWS, Sydney, Brisbane and so on. They all have one thing in common - they play mobile forward lines with at least 3 good small forwards.

We currently play Caddy, Langford, Stringer, Jones and a 2nd ruck (not even including Wright) and no good small forwards. We are not dynamic nor are we the slightest bit mobile. Teams respond by running the ball out with ease and giving our already subpar defense even less chance.

That’s not all on Stringer. You could in fact have a good functioning forward line with stringer in it - but not one with 3-4 other mediums/talls. Replace stringer’s name with any of the others, and it’s the same conclusion.

Stringer doesn’t ‘have’ to be the one to go, but he sounds the most likely - and someone has to. But the fit and mix is an enormous issue for us.

I’m talking about stringer fit into the forwardline, 2mp, all of our small forwards including gresham are far more to blame than stringer. This won’t be some addition by subtraction. All
I’m saying is losing stringer won’t make our forwardline function better if we move the footy the same way as we are currently.

 

[DERO]

Jye Menzie will crush it next year. We’ll be fine.

 

[ydc55]

I would prefer he stays and gets a bit fitter.
But I feel Rosa and Scott have the keys to the car and deserve to drive.
It seems a bit rich that Menzies earns a one year deal and that is all they offer stringer.

 

[Duckworth]

If Stringer is off to Collingwood can we package Gresham with him?

 

[Call Me Cake]

Considering his inconsistency in regards to physical fitness/form and perennial unprofessionalism, in 2025 we could be asking "where are his 40+ goals going to come from?" even with him still on the list.

 

[Vindicater]

I hope if he heads to Collingwood it involves Richards coming back.

 

[ghostdog]

Did he? I don't really recall Hibberd playing inside midfield much in either the AFL or VFL side. He was like a big, slow winger. I thought it was mainly the fans here who saw his height and weight, and 'midfield' as his position, put 2 and 2 together and got 6 when his role was always on the outside.

Similar thing happened with that guy with the egg

No, I think he was inside at VFL level, which is why, when he was finally selected to play on a wing at AFL level, everyone went apeshit.

 

[cAsEy_18]

I hope if he heads to Collingwood it involves Richards coming back.

Yeah I’ve been disappointed that there’s been no reference of us being involved in Richards talks to date.

I want us to get at least 3 new small forwards this offseason. Kako is one. I’d like Richards to be another.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I would prefer he stays and gets a bit fitter.
But I feel Rosa and Scott have the keys to the car and deserve to drive.
It seems a bit rich that Menzies earns a one year deal and that is all they offer stringer.

But haven't you heard "he's easy to coach and TRIES to do everything asked of him".
It makes me feel dirty but I can't help but look on in envy at how mitchell can get most out of guys like ginnivan who everyone writes off as lazy and not team players.

 

[ant555]

No, I think he was inside at VFL level, which is why, when he was finally selected to play on a wing at AFL level, everyone went apeshit.

He was midfield in the VFL but everything just presumed that because he was big he was an inside bull but he actually played more give and go in the VFL and not a big crash and bash guy. So

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I’d say the only real fallacy is that this is a tough decision.

We’re not being tough - our list needs major work and this is a 30yo player who wants a longer deal and isn’t going to be playing in a flag for us.

A trade to a club that can give him the contract he wants and can get us another ok-ish draft pick is the only logical path forward.

It’s probably “tough” in terms of recent Essendon because we never, ever got rid of players unless they absolutely demanded to be traded - Dodoro was not a list manager, he was a collector of players.

We push on with a draft pick that we can get for him.

HF: Perkins - Jones - Gresham
F: Langford - Caddy - Davey

Or whatever combo you want to go with. It’s hardly a disastrous forward line for where we’re at.

Waiting in the wings we also have a 203cm key forward who kicked 50 goals and won the B&F only a couple of years ago, if anybody can find him.