Essendon forward Jake Stringer enjoying best pre-season of his career and set to spend more time forward
It has been a pre-season forget for the Bombers and their extensive injury list, but one of their big names is off to a flyer. Can Jake Stringer recapture his 2015 All-Australian form in 2020?
Essendon
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Essendon have been decimated by injuries this pre-season but there is a silver lining.
Talented forward Jake Stringer is enjoying the preparation of his career and is set to spend more time closer to goal in 2020.
Stringer has hardly missed a session on the track and believes it’s his smoothest pre-season “by far.”
He is yet to play a full season since leaving the Bulldogs at the end of 2017 and has failed to have the same scoreboard impact at the Bombers, booting 63 goals in 39 matches.
A combination of form and increased midfield minutes are the reason for this, but a return to his barnstorming 2015 season – where he slotted 56 majors and earnt All-Australian selection as a forward – isn’t out of the question.
“I’m borderline flying at the minute,” Stringer joked on SEN Breakfast.
“Not being injured is a massive part and I don’t think I’ve missed a session this whole pre-season – I’d be in the top one or two who hasn’t missed.”
“I’ve done a lot of work forward which has been quite good, because the last sort of year and a bit I’ve done a lot of work in the midfield group.
“I’ve just been honing in on my craft as a forward.”
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Stringer credits the recruitment of former Hawthorn fitness guru Sean Murphy for raising standards this pre-season.
“Last year (my preparation) was pretty good, but this year has been taken to a new level,” he said.
“It’s been one of the hardest pre-seasons I’ve done.”
But the 25-year-old concedes that their pre-season setbacks are far from ideal, saying there is up to eight Bombers who aren’t in full training due to injury.
“Not everything’s gone to plan, obviously there’s been a few blokes that are still not quite into full training but that’s part of football and part of the pre-season,” Stringer said.