Three Essendon players used the bye to get engaged as quest begins to end 20-year finals drought

The little things count when you are trying to end a 20-year drought of finals wins and events across the bye could stir Essendon into action.

Jake Stringer is engaged. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Essendon livewire Jake Stringer is adamant the Bombers have taken their game to “another level” in the quest to end a 20-year finals winning drought, with a string of positive news across the by weekend building positivity as they launch into the second half of the season.

Stringer was one of three Bombers to use their break to get engaged, with Kyle Langford and Mason Redman also making their announcements as the air of excitement and expectation builds at the club, which sits in the top four.

Essendon will take on West Coast on Sunday having endured back-to-back losses going into the bye, but Stringer, who has booted 24 goals this season, said the Bombers were “losing well” and only undone by poor conversion.

A score of 9.16 against Carlton at the MCG in a 26-point loss was an unflattering return for a team that Stringer was adamant was playing the style of football that would hold up in finals.

“Our style of footy in the past month has been one that is going to stand up in the later part of the season but the missing link is kicking goals,” Stringer said on Tuesday.

“We seem to be kicking a lot of points. We’re getting a lot of supply but we’re not quite connecting. Sometimes you can be winning ugly and sometimes you can be losing well.

A special bye week 👶🏼💍

Congratulations to Kyle and Lulu on the announcement of their pregnancy and engagement.

And congratulations to Mason and Emma on their engagement. Exciting times ahead 🤍 pic.twitter.com/dM77K5uMaJ

— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) June 17, 2024

“The last two weeks we lost well in terms of how the game needed to look but our conversion inside 50 is not where it needs to be.

“We’re starting to play a very good style of football … we’re starting to build something really good. All across the board, we’ve taken our game to another level.”

Essendon’s last finals win came in 2004 and the Bombers don’t have to leave Victoria for the next 10 games, which will be split between Marvel Stadium and the MCG.

Stringer, 30, comes out of contract at the end of this season but said speculation about a standoff over a new deal, amid reports he wants three years and the club is only willing to offer two, was wide of the mark.

“It’s interesting the stuff that comes out about how many years you want and stuff,” he told SEN.

“At the moment I’m just really happy with the direction the club is going in. I feel like I play an important role and I’m loving what all the younger boys are bringing. I’m loving my footy and the rest will take care of itself in due course.”

Originally published as Three Essendon players used the bye to get engaged as quest begins to end 20-year finals drought