‘Insulting’ detail of Essendon’s Stringer contract gamble

Essendon is reportedly “not budging” on its offer to Jake Stringer with new details emerging about a secret meeting behind the scenes.

Essendon is “not budging” on its current contract offer to Jake Stringer, according to Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph, as the dynamic forward ponders testing the market and a potential move to a third club.

Stinger has activated a trigger clause in his deal that gives him an extension for 2025 worth $400,000.

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The 30-year old booted 42 goals this season — one less than Essendon’s leading goalkicker Kyle Langford.

Jake Stringer. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

It follows a report from The Age that Bombers skipper Zach Merrett met with coach Brad Scott to “express disappointment” that the club decided not to table extensions to Stringer and Jayden Laverde beyond 2025.

The meeting, which was held at a cafe, was prearranged.

That came a day after Stringer, Laverde and their manager, Robbie D’Orazio, met Scott as well as Essendon list manager Matt Rosa and chief executive Craig Vozzo, with both players reportedly advised to seek opportunities elsewhere if they wanted longer deals.

“So Essendon is basically saying: ‘That’s your salary, play on.’ He’s saying: ‘Well that’s unacceptable’. I think he would feel that’s insulting,” Ralph said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“It’s not budging. Right now Essendon doesn’t believe if he left it would impact the harmony of the football club, Zach Merrett has already gone in to bat for him.

“It’s not to say at some stage Essendon might not put in some performance clauses or increase that offer.

“But I think once you ask a player to test the market and say, ‘if you can get two years, go,’ you say a lot about whether you trust them or want them.

“I think right now if Jake could find a two-year deal he’d have a very serious decision ahead.”

Sydney has already been linked to Stringer as a potential suitor, while Ralph suggested Melbourne and Collingwood as other options for the ex-Bulldog given the cheap price tag.

“Absolutely Essendon can (incentivise his current deal), but at this stage they’ve decided not to. They’re saying: ‘The next step is for you to go and test the market’,” Ralph continued.

“If I was him and I found two years at $600,000, which is the top 200 pay scale — it’s not very much money in an $18 AFL salary cap.”

Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown added on the program: “$400,000 seems low for a player who’s reached his performance triggers. Essentially he’s taken a pay cut while the salary cap is going up 20 to 25 per cent.

“It just doesn’t seem like a great deal for Jake Stringer.”

Originally published as ‘Insulting’ detail of Essendon’s Stringer contract gamble