Why a Jake Stringer for Todd Goldstein trade is a win-win for Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne
IT’S the Holy Grail of trades, a rare win-win opportunity for two clubs. Jake Stringer and Todd Goldstein are looking for fresh starts and a straight swap makes perfect sense.
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IT’S the Holy Grail of trades
A rare rolled-gold win-win for two clubs searching for that missing ingredient to the premiership recipe.
Explosive forward Jake Stringer is on the table and North Melbourne needs another target inside 50m.
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Todd Goldstein could use a fresh start and the Western Bulldogs are in desperate need of a No.1 ruckman.
There are hurdles.
The Bulldogs are reportedly after draft picks, not players, and Stringer is reportedly keen on Essendon and Geelong.
Goldstein is contracted and has publicly said he’s committed to the Kangaroos, this month telling SEN; “At no point has myself, my management, or even the footy club, or any other footy club shown any interest in getting rid of me or taking me. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a North Melbourne player.”
And yet a straight swap would infinitely improve each club’s list.
Stringer’s time at Whitten Oval is over, coach Luke Beveridge confirmed it to the Herald Sun.
“Jake’s management and the club got together and both agreed we’d explore alternatives to him playing at the club and explore what’s right for his long-term future and the club’s,” he said.
The 2015 All-Australian forward would get the change of scenery and perhaps kick up the backside he needs.
When Stringer kicked 56 goals in 2015, he had Tory Dickson (50) riding shotgun while Stewart Crameri added 32. Injury and form saw those three play just 27 games between them for 36 goals.
If used as a forward only, Stringer would form one of the most dangerous attacks alongside Ben Brown.
Brown - third in the Coleman Medal this year with 63 goals - would be the focal point and free Stringer of the best defender most weeks.
Perhaps more excitingly for the Kangaroos, his explosiveness could see him used through the midfield and form a potent one-two midfield-forward combination with captain Jack Ziebell, who has long been touted as a dangerous forward rather than a full-time midfielder.
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Jordan Roughead is a solid ruckman but the Bulldogs haven’t had a true No.1 big man since Will Minson.
The outlawing of the third-man up ended what was a major weapon in Beveridge’s gameplan and saw Roughead and his back-ups exposed.
As a result the Dogs won the clearance battle just 10 times in 22 games this year, won the hitouts six times and hitouts to advantage just four times.
Adding Goldstein would allow the Bulldogs to return Roughead to defence, a major area of need for the club, and bridge the gap until top draft pick Tim English is physically ready to take the mantle.
After an indifferent year, Goldstein too could use a fresh start after 10 years at North Melbourne.
Compared to 2016, his production dropped off across the board; disposals from 13.7 to 13.4, goals 0.9 to 0.6, marks 3.1 to 2.8, hitouts 36.5 to 30.3, tackles 3.1 to 2.8 and clearances 3.0 to 2.6.
While Goldstein played 19 games, Brad Scott used Braydon Preuss in eight games and Majak Daw in seven.
Scott recently spoke of the Kangaroos ruck situation, saying the club was “still in the market for another ruck”, indicating the club could fill Goldstein’s shoes were he to depart.
“There’s a lot talked about our rucks, but really we have only three of them and you can debate whether Majak’s best position is ruck or forward,” he told Channel 9.
“Goldy, by his own standards, had a poor season and he would be the first to admit that, but his best footy is still in front of him.
“We understand it’s going to be a challenge to try and work the (ruck) balance.”
The Bulldogs and Kangaroos have a strong history at the trade table.
Just last year the Dogs sent fringe midfielder Nathan Hrovat to Arden Street for basically nothing, a swap of third- and fourth-round picks, and he played all 22 games.
As Kangaroos premiership player Sam Kekovich says “you know it makes sense”.
Originally published as Why a Jake Stringer for Todd Goldstein trade is a win-win for Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne
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