Dermott Brereton says Jake Stringer needs to start playing a more physical style of game

AFL great Dermott Brereton has accused Western Bulldogs star Jake Stringer of playing bruise free footy as he struggles to find top form.

Jake Stringer in action for the Western Bulldogs.

AFL great Dermott Brereton has accused Western Bulldogs star Jake Stringer of playing bruise free footy.

The Dogs forward was quiet for most of Friday night’s win over Collingwood before a strong finish to help seal victory at Etihad Stadium.

Stringer has been down on his 2015 output, which saw him kick 56 goals and earn All-Australian selection.

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Hawthorn legend Brereton accused Stringer of avoiding physical contact and not using his size to full effect.

“Tell me his size and shape. 192 centimetres. What is he, 91 or 92 kilos? He is plenty big to rough it up with anyone … (Instead) he runs to the drop of the ball and within two seconds of the ball on its flight path being about to drop, he pulls out of the contest and wants to crumb it,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

Jake Stringer has a shot at goal against Collingwood. Picture: Michael Klein

“He’s a powerful beast but to me he’s looking for maximum reward from minimum effort and minimum contact to him. He’s brave but at the moment he is wanting to play his footy without suffering any body punishment.”

“He has to reassign his own thought process to say ‘you know what, I’m going to take some punishment at some stage.”

Stringer lifted in the dying stages of the Bulldogs’ thrilling win, finishing with 11 disposals, one mark, two tackles, three clearances and a goal.

Former Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace believed Stringer only put his body on the line when a game was on the line and Luke Beveridge needed to demand more consistency from his key forward.

“His last three minutes were the only time he showed urgency because all of a sudden the scoreboard said ‘we have three minutes to go and we’ve got to win this game.’ All of a sudden he’s throwing himself at the ball, he was physical,” he said.

“I still think you always push them up rather than hit them over the head. I’d be going back to the tape in the last three minutes and going ‘where is this?’ for the rest of the game. Show him what you’re expecting of him,” he said.

Originally published as Dermott Brereton says Jake Stringer needs to start playing a more physical style of game