AFL 2024: Essendon coach Brad Scott suggests Jake Stringer will stay

Essendon coach Brad Scott has revealed whether he is concerned by dragging negotiations with a star forward.

Mercurial Essendon forward Jake Stringer is still waiting on a new contract for 2025 and beyond. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

Essendon coach Brad Scott expects Jake Stringer to remain at Essendon in 2025 despite contract negotiations dragging towards the final month of the season.

Stringer, 30, has made a welcome return to form in the last fortnight and booted four goals in the Bombers’ win over Fremantle but remains without a deal for next season.

Scott said he was not concerned the dynamic forward would consider leaving the club despite reports the Bombers and Stringer’s camp have reached an impasse.

“I’m not going to get into the business of confirming or denying those things, but my wry smile sort of gives a bit away,” Scott told reporters on Wednesday.

“We’ve got a list management team that go about their business – my part in it is to set the vision for the club, coach the players really strongly and create an environment in which we want every player to stay.

“We want other players to see Essendon as a place they’d want to play their footy, but I don’t get involved in the nitty gritty of contract negotiations.”

Essendon coach Brad Scott (right) says he expects forward Jake Stringer to sign a new deal to remain at the Bombers. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

Scott said it was “exciting” to introduce debutant Archie Roberts and recall inexperienced duo Nick Bryan and Alwyn Davey Jr for the important win over the Dockers but said fringe players, including Will Setterfield (43 disposals), were banging the door down in the VFL.

The coach hoped the personnel changes would help drive players in an “even” middle of the list to elevate their game to a higher level.

“There’s always youthful exuberance … we thought Archie had a terrific debut and played the way we thought he would based on all the evidence he’s put before us,” Scott said.

“We’re very even across that (fringe) group of players … the challenge for us, and where a lot of our improvement is going to come from as a team, is the emergence and separation of those guys from being an even group to guys making the jump up to being high-quality AFL players on a regular basis.”

Scott said Peter Wright was handling his second omission in a month “exceptionally well” and emphasised it was a structural issue rather than form keeping the 2022 best and fairest winner out of the side.

Last week’s debutant Archie Roberts will have an important role against Gold Coast on Saturday night after a hamstring injury to wingman Xavier Duursma. Picture: Martin Keep / Getty Images

Wright kicked three goals in the Bombers’ 44-point VFL win over Preston on Saturday.

“Pete’s really clear on the things he just needs to work on, and prepare well for inevitably when his next opportunity comes, that he’s ready to take it,” Scott said.

“It’s as much structure as it is form – the silver lining in these things is: Does Caddy play, does Langford play, does Jones play? It’s certainly unfair to say it’s totally form, a fair bit of it is structure and system as well.”

Essendon will need to win at least two of its final games against Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney to play finals, but Scott said it put his side in an “exciting position”.

“I think I speak for all the players and coaches – we’re really excited about what lies ahead for us,” he said.

“We’ve worked really hard on not being focused on ladder position because, even the last four weeks, it just changes so much, it’s not a reflection on how teams are going.

“For a big part of this year, Brisbane were in the bottom six, and now they’re threatening to finish first … there’s probably no bigger test than the three games we’ve got coming up, so that’s an exciting position for us to be in, and we’ve got to have the mentality that we’re going to go out and attack it.”