AFL Essendon defeats GWS: Jake Stringer hits back at critics as he reveals pre-season injury battle

Essendon livewire Jake Stringer made headlines in the pre-season for some nagging injuries relating to his fitness, however there may be more to the story than first thought.

MELBOURNE. 26/03/2023. AFL Round 2. Essendon vs. Gold Coast Suns at Marvel Stadium. Dyson Heppell of the Bombers. Pic: Michael Klein

Essendon matchwinner Jake Stringer has hit back at critics over his preparation, declaring “they can say whatever they want” after the star forward produced a standout four-goal performance in the Bombers’ win against the GWS Giants.

Delivering a reminder to the AFL of his attacking talents, Stringer played a starring role with a 4.6 haul – and could have been more damaging had he kicked straight – and 15 disposals in Essendon’s 13-point victory at Marvel Stadium in his second game for the season after returning from injury.

As the Bombers’ took a 3-1 start to the season, Stringer revealed the extent a final-round concussion had on him leading into the start of pre-season after his fitness standards were questioned over summer.

Stringer brings out the barrel! #AFLDonsGiantspic.twitter.com/XvwSFnOtjp

— AFL (@AFL) April 9, 2023

Stringer missed the opening two games of the season after suffering a pre-season hamstring injury just before the practice games and kicked one goal from eight disposals in his return against St Kilda last week as he had to work to help nullify the impact of damaging Saints’ defender Callum Wilkie.

While his quiet return had the forward in the spotlight again, Stringer said his main focus was always to do what the team needed – and he was rewarded for that against the Giants.

“I suppose you just try to come in and play your role and tonight it was my turn to get on the end of a few,” Stringer said after the match.

“It would have been nice if I had kicked straight, but (I’m) grateful to get the win.

“I had a role to play last week, the coach asked me to play a role and I thought I did that. “Even though I didn’t hit the scoreboard, or didn’t have the influence on the game, I did what the team needed and tonight was no different.

Jake Stringer has hit back at critics. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“All I try to do each week is do what I can for the team and put the team first and tonight I got rewarded.

“I’m just lucky that the ball fell my way in the last quarter and I was able to capitalise on that.”

Even before his pre-season hamstring injury, Stringer’s fitness standards were questioned over the pre-season, but he defended his preparation.

Stringer revealed how much of an impact the concussion he suffered in round 23 against the Tigers last year had on him leading into the pre-season, saying it was not until December that he started to feel “normal”.

“(Critics) can say whatever they want,” Stringer said.

“When you are dealing with stuff personally and mentally and concussion is a serious thing and it’s something that I took very seriously, I’m just grateful that I’m out here running.

“People can say what they want, but you’ve got to put your health first and I had to do that for that period and I’m just grateful to be able to run out and put on the red and black and do this club proud.

“The first part (of the pre-season), I was battling a concussion from the last game of the year where I got kneed from Marlion Pickett.

“I couldn’t do much running at all and it was a very slow build-up. Then it wasn’t until December that I started to actually feel back to normal, so it was a fairly long 16 weeks going through that.

Stringer was battling concussion during the pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein

Picture: Michael Klein

“I felt like I had a really good December, January, February and then just literally kicking the footy at training and that was how I nicked my hammy and that’s just footy.

“I was ready to play in the practice matches, just two days before I was feeling really good in kicking …. it was not a sprinting, running, fitnessing, it was literally just a mechanical kicking thing. I seem to be on top of it now, found a few little tweaks and the physio team we seem to be all over it now.

“But I was always confident coming back that I would be able to pick-up from where I left (off) and tonight was obviously the day where I got to do that.”

Stringer admitted he had been unable to “get the miles into the legs early in the pre-season due to the concussion headaches he suffered, turning to boxing instead.

“I tried everything, I did boxing with a boxer … he was awesome for me,” Stringer said.

“I couldn’t run every time I went to run I would get headaches, it was frustrating, but I knew that I was still putting in the work but I couldn’t get the miles into the legs.

“Then by December I started to get the rewards of all the hard work then and it’s starting to pay off now because I pretty much didn’t miss a beat from December onwards.”

Stringer delivered a highlight with a booming barrel from outside 50m early in the fourth quarter, the kind of goal Essendon captain Zach Merrett said made teammates feel like “footy fans” playing alongside him.

“I don’t know if that is in the coaching manual, but he is a special player and we love him so much and we love what he brings to us as a group,” Merrett said.

“For him to get some rewards, (his) second game back from an interrupted pre-season with a lot of headlines was fantastic to see.

“There are not many like him in the competition that you feel like you are a footy fan when you’re on the field playing with him.

“He kicked four and kicked four or five points as well, it could have been a massive game. But his influence on the group on and off the field is amazing and we love him internally.”

Stringer admitted the young Essendon forwards were “keeping him on his toes” but he understood the leadership role he had to play with the team’s new generation.

“We are such a young group and I look around the forward line and there is so much inexperience, I feel like I’m 40 years old out there with all these young ones running around,” Stringer said.

“It’s exciting, they keep me on my toes and we are just enjoying the ride and working hard and hopefully things will keep turning our way.

“Not just the forward line but across the whole group, I’m one of the more senior guys, games wise, age wise. You have got to present (at) training, games, everything, what they see is what they get.

“It’s important that the likes of me, Jayden Laverde, Zach Merrett are putting our best foot forward at the club every single day and hopefully that rubs off on all the young kids who all seem to be going really well so far.”

Diabolic Dons hold on as Stringer kicks barrel stunner

— Ronny Lerner

Essendon has managed to overcome a diabolic goalkicking performance to run over the top of Greater Western Sydney by 13 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

In what was a dour contest for the most part that was marred by poor skills from both teams, the Bombers found themselves on an appalling 4.16 during the third quarter.

Jake Stringer (six), Jye Caldwell (three) and Jye Menzie (two) were the biggest culprits, combining for 11 behinds, while Caldwell also booted one on the full and Menzie had a shot that failed to score.

However, after starting with 1.4, Stringer made amends for his early inaccuracy in the second half, kicking three more goals, including two crucial ones at the start of the final quarter – the second of which was an audacious torpedo punt on the run from outside 50m – as the Dons held on 11.22 (88) to 11.9 (75).

Even with Sam Weideman concussed and subbed out early in the second quarter after a heavy collision with Nick Haynes, the Bombers tall forward line provided plenty of headaches for the Giants’ undersized backline, which was missing Leek Aleer and Phil Davis, but failed to make them pay on the scoreboard.

Jake Stringer (right) was electric up forward. Picture: Michael Klein

The Giants threatened to run over the top of the wasteful Dons when back-to-back majors from Harry Himmelberg and Josh Kelly put them back in front in time on in the third quarter, but Essendon hit back with the next five goals to lead by 25 points late in the final quarter.

A couple of quick goals from Toby Greene and Himmelberg ensured a nervous final four minutes for the Bombers, but the hosts held on to improve their record to 3-1.

The Bombers battered the Giants in contested possessions (147-129), inside 50s (61-51) and scoring shots (33-20), but had to wait until very late to get the game under their control.

In a match that was largely bereft of class and polish, the silky Nic Martin stood out like a sore thumb for the Bombers with his poise and composure apparent in each of his 24 disposals (nine contested) and two goals, while Mason Redman produced another superb performance from defence finishing with 26 touches, six tackles and a goal.

For the Giants, Josh Kelly was influential with 28 touches, six tackles and two goals, while Tom Green (34 disposals) and Stephen Coniglio (25 and a goal) also impressed.

DONS DOMINATION COUNTS FOR NOTHING

After coughing up the first two goals inside the opening two minutes, Essendon absolutely dominated the first quarter, but from 11 consecutive shots at goal, they could only manage 1.7, two that didn’t score and one that went out on the full.

Despite heading into the quarter-time break leading the clearances 13-10, contested possessions 41-31, tackles 15-6, inside 50s 15-12 and scoring shots 10-4, the Bombers trailed by four points after conceding two of the period’s last three goals.

Harry Himmelberg celebrates a goal in the third term. Picture: Michael Klein

GWS HIT BACK

After being dogged by poor ball use in the first term, the Giants sharpened up and made the Bombers pay for their inability to capitalise on their early ascendancy by opening up a 19-point lead midway through the second term.

The loss of Weideman forced the Bombers to switch Kyle Langford from defence to attack and while he almost instantly kicked a goal, their yips continued as they crawled to halftime with a lamentable score of 3.13, 10 points in arrears of GWS.

Quick thinking from Zach Merrett.#AFLDonsGiantspic.twitter.com/POhuFy5p2y

— AFL (@AFL) April 9, 2023

BOMBERS RESPOND

The Dons kept burning opportunities in the third quarter, but they reasserted their authority on the contest and the sheer weight of numbers saw them wrest back the lead halfway through the term.

DRAPER, REDMAN MUCK UP

A pair of catastrophic Essendon defensive errors led to the Giants’ two goals for the second quarter. The first saw Redman attempt to handball to Jordan Ridley after taking a mark deep in the backline. Little did he know that Callan Ward was right on his hammer and the former GWS captain chopped it off, collected the spillage and dribbled it home from 20m out. Four minute later, Bombers ruckman Sam Draper dropped a mark he should’ve taken in the Giants’ goalsquare, and Toby Greene was there waiting for the crumbs before he toepoked it through the big sticks.

Sam Draper celebrates a goal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

DRAPER, REDMAN MAKE AMENDS

But Draper and Redman made amends late in the third term. After their team fell back behind at the 21-minute mark, Draper was awarded a free kick 20m out directly in front of goal for having his arm chopped in the marking contest, and he duly slotted the easy set shot. Two minutes later, Redman launched one of his trademark long-bomb goals on the run from outside 50m to put the Dons back in front.

SCOREBOARD

BOMBERS 2.8, 3.13, 8.19, 11.22 (88)

GIANTS 4.0, 6.5, 9.7, 11.9 (75)

LERNER’S BEST
Bombers: Martin, Stringer, Redman, Merrett, Parish, Zerk-Thatcher, Shiel.
Giants: Kelly, Green, Ward, Taylor, Coniglio, Whitfield, Haynes.

GOALS
Bombers: Stringer 4, Martin 2, Langford, Merrett, Draper, Redman, Perkins.
Giants: Himmelberg 3, Ward 2, Kelly 2, Greene 2, Daniels, Coniglio.

INJURIES
Bombers: Weideman (concussion/cut mouth).
Giants: Nil.

UMPIRES Hosking, Chamberlain, Rebeschini, McGinness

VENUE Marvel Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LERNER’S VOTES

3 Nic Martin (Ess)

2 Jake Stringer (Ess)

1 Josh Kelly (GWS)

Bomber’s sickening head knock after selection shock

— Rebecca Williams

Essendon forward Sam Weideman has been subbed out of the clash against Greater Western Sydney with concussion, ruling him out of next week’s meeting with former team Melbourne.

Weideman hit the turf heavily after he collided with Giant Nick Haynes mid-air as they contested a mark on the wing early in the second quarter of the clash at Marvel Stadium.

The former Demon had to be assisted from the field and was taken straight to the rooms and the call was made shortly afterwards to sub him out of the contest.

Weideman’s forced exit from the game injected Essendon’s substitute, former captain Dyson Heppell, into the match.

Weideman will now have to observe the mandatory 12-day concussion lay-off, meaning he’ll miss next week’s clash against his former side Melbourne for the Gather Round in South Australia.

Sam Weideman is escorted from the field. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty

The Bombers paid the price for an inaccurate start to the match against the Giants.

After the Giants kicked two quick goals to start the match within the opening three minutes, the Bombers kicked 2.8 in the opening quarter to trail the Giants, who booted four straight goals, by four points at the first change.

The Bombers’ inaccuracy continued in the second quarter, kicking 1.5, but the Giants also struggled to hit the scoreboard, kicking 2.5 to take a 10-point halftime lead.

Heppell was named as the substitute for the clash in a late selection change for the Bombers following a last-minute switch

Heppell had been initially named on the interchange bench for the Bombers after a week when the 30-year-old’s place in the Bombers’ best 22 was questioned.

The former skipper has made a slow start to the 2023 campaign. He was subbed out of the Bombers’ round two win over the Gold Coast and had just six kicks in the loss to St Kilda last week.

Heppell will start as the tactical sub. Pic: Michael Klein

Essendon coach Brad Scott had backed Heppell’s place in the side during the week.

“He’ll be in the team this week and I understand there will be a focus on a lot of the more senior players in a lot of teams across the AFL, but what Dyson Heppell has done for this club over a 10-year-plus period has been absolutely critical,” Scott said on Friday.

“Right where we’re at in terms of our evolution as a team, Dyson’s a really important player for what we’re doing.

“The value that Dyson brings is immeasurable. His leadership, his sense of calm when things aren’t particularly going well … and with a young and inexperienced group, it’s really important to have seniority around them.

“The positives that Dyson brings are really hard to see publicly. You certainly don’t see them on the stats sheet. He’s a really proud competitor and he’s a really important person and player for us.”

Cooper Hamilton has been named as the substitute for the Giants.