Could the Bulldogs end up winning the Jake Stringer trade?

[bornadog]

Link (https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/06/03/could-the-bulldogs-end-up-winning-the-jake-stringer-trade/)

In the 2017 trade period, the Bulldogs dealt Jake Stringer to Essendon for picks 25 and 30.

Three years on, who has won that trade?

First, let’s look at what the Bulldogs did with those two draft picks. They sent pick 25 to Brisbane as part of the trade that brought Josh Schache to the club.

Pick 30 was also involved in a trade where they sent three second round picks to Carlton in exchange for pick 16 and pick 40 (the other half of the Schache trade).

So in the end they traded Stringer, pick 28 (Sam Taylor – GWS) and a future 2nd round pick (Luke Foley – West Coast) and received Schache and pick 16 (Ed Richards).

Stringer has played 39 games for the Bombers and has kicked 63 goals, pushing through the midfield at stages as well.

Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy believes the trade remains up in the air, given Stringer has not reached the heights he teased during his early years at the Bulldogs.

“I don’t think at this stage (bringing in Josh Schache) has justified losing Stringer, but in reality I don’t think Stringer has damaged them by his performances at Essendon,” Healy told Sportsday.

“He’s been okay, he’s been good at times, he’s had a couple of great games, but I don’t think he’s continued that absolute upward spiral to superstardom that he was on through that 2015 to 2016 period.

“This is the exciting thing and why people push up for Essendon, Stringer is a bloke who can turn on an All-Australian year at any stage. We know he’s a good stoppage player, he can kick unbelievable goals, but it’s very difficult being a super consistent player inside 50.

“If they can just continue to get a little bit more out of him where he’s finishing in the top 3 in the best and fairest then all of a sudden you can say they’ve won that trade.”

Healy believes on paper, the Bombers look to have won the deal, but the Bulldogs bringing in Schache gives them a chance to turn it around depending on the young key forward’s development.

“If Josh Schache can continue his upward tangent, then they can get out of a deal which, when you lose a player of Stringer’s capability, history could really say you made a blue falling out with him, but he lost his way on the field and off the field, but all I know is he wasn’t the player that he was when we were comparing him to Jesse Hogan as the two up and coming guns of the forward line,” he said.

“(Stringer) makes a valuable contribution, but he hasn’t gone to superstar status. Four years ago he was a superstar, right now he’s a valuable player.

“Ultimately (the Bulldogs) had to find a way to justify that decision and Schache, getting him for unders as well, made it look better than it otherwise was going to.”

Schache has played 27 games for the Bulldogs in two years, kicking 41 goals. Richards has played 41 games since being drafted and immediately found a regular spot in the side.

[mjp]

Can we have Sam Taylor? Did the giants actually win this trade?

[GVGjr]

It might take a while to work out an exact winner but if Schache does continue to improve then we have done very well
Critical year for both Schache and Richards in terms on building momentum

Both missed our round one team selection

[jeemak]

Pretty narrow lens applied in the analysis, plus a fairly standard sprinkling of Stringer/ Essendon hyperbole from Gerard here.

If he can get to a stage where he's finishing in the top three of the B&F at Essendon then good for him, but I can't see it happening given after his best year there so far he still didn't place in the top ten.

[Mofra]

Stringer is well ahead of Schache if we're being honest with ourselves. It's not like Schache was ahead of tall forwards who were beating down the door for selection by performing at VFL level.

The article downplays the trade enabling us to draft Ed Richards. It was a head-scratcher at the time (we did seem to overpay for pick 16) but we are lucky he slid as if we didn't we would have grabbed O'Brien who is just 'ok' so far.

[GVGjr]

Stringer is well ahead of Schache if we're being honest with ourselves. It's not like Schache was ahead of tall forwards who were beating down the door for selection by performing at VFL level.

The article downplays the trade enabling us to draft Ed Richards. It was a head-scratcher at the time (we did seem to overpay for pick 16) but we are lucky he slid as if we didn't we would have grabbed O'Brien who is just 'ok' so far.

Perhaps the addition of Josh Bruce will also limit the value in Schache but I like the fact that Schache could move into the 2nd ruck role as well as it's something we need.

There is a bit of work to do with him but hopefully we haven't seen the best of him yet

[1eyedog]

With uncertainty around Naughton's knee Schache may get an early chance to prove himself as well. There are many still calling for Naughts to go back which is now a viable option with Bruce at the club. Schache has strengths. He has a good tank and is highly mobile, being able to play high.

Getting Josh Bruce to the club will be massive for Schache. I remember the huge boost a young Liam Jones got when Barry Hall first came to the club. Jones had his best year when Hall arrived as a very young key forward. If Schache plays i50 for large swathes of the season I'm hoping he takes the opportunity having Bruce at the club affords.

Bruce is a very good but not great player but he's experienced, is in his prime as a key forward, has good hands and is big. He'll demand their best key defender giving Schache a chop out on the double team efforts on him we saw many times last season.

I think we definitely won the off-field trade. Stringer was a poison.

[The Pie Man]

With uncertainty around Naughton's knee Schache may get an early chance to prove himself as well. There are many still calling for Naughts to go back which is now a viable option with Bruce at the club. Schache has strengths. He has a good tank and is highly mobile, being able to play high.

Getting Josh Bruce to the club will be massive for Schache. I remember the huge boost a young Liam Jones got when Barry Hall first came to the club. Jones had his best year when Hall arrived as a very young key forward. If Schache plays i50 for large swathes of the season I'm hoping he takes the opportunity having Bruce at the club affords.

Bruce is a very good but not great player but he's experienced, is in his prime as a key forward, has good hands and is big. He'll demand their best key defender giving Schache a chop out on the double team efforts on him we saw many times last season.

I think we definitely won the off-field trade. Stringer was a poison.

That's the key to the whole conversation.

[jeemak]

That's the key to the whole conversation.

Exactly why Healy's narrow focus only tells a small part of the story.

[Axe Man]

Exactly why Healy's narrow focus only tells a small part of the story.

Agreed, he completely ignores the reason we offloaded him and makes it sound like we traded BHP shares for CBA.

[Bulldog Joe]

Agreed, he completely ignores the reason we offloaded him and makes it sound like we traded BHP shares for CBA.

I say more like BHP for Bendigo Bank in the hope that would morph into CBA.

[The Pie Man]

Exactly why Healy's narrow focus only tells a small part of the story.

This bit (history could really say you made a blue falling out with him) is particularly ignorant

[EasternWest]

I'd say we won the trade the moment we moved him on.

[josie]

Richards is promising too. And yes it seems Stringer was a poisoned chalice. When hear was on Stringer often went missing incl. very large chunks of 2016 final series.

[dog town]

Apart from the off field issues Stringer is still struggling with the same issues he had previously.

1- a liability in transition. Watch him on a turnover
2- goes to the back of the pack all the time now. He wasn’t doing this early days and he seems to avoid contact unless he is initiating it. This started mid 2016
3- Poor pressure and repeat efforts. Means when they have all of their talls playing they have a massive lack of pressure.
4- He doesn’t know when to release the ball. His tackle breaking is s huge asset but once he draws players he should release the ball.

Not the only one with these flaws but he will be a tease if he can’t iron some of them out.

[Twodogs]

Apart from the off field issues Stringer is still struggling with the same issues he had previously.

1- a liability in transition. Watch him on a turnover
2- goes to the back of the pack all the time now. He wasn’t doing this early days and he seems to avoid contact unless he is initiating it. This started mid 2016
3- Poor pressure and repeat efforts. Means when they have all of their talls playing they have a massive lack of pressure.
4- He doesn’t know when to release the ball. His tackle breaking is s huge asset but once he draws players he should release the ball.

Not the only one with these flaws but he will be a tease if he can’t iron some of them out.

H's been a bit tentative since that shoulder injury I reckon. He used to use his shoulder to bullock his way through opposition players but since he hurt it he actively avoids contact.

[The Pie Man]

Apart from the off field issues Stringer is still struggling with the same issues he had previously.

1- a liability in transition. Watch him on a turnover
2- goes to the back of the pack all the time now. He wasn’t doing this early days and he seems to avoid contact unless he is initiating it. This started mid 2016
3- Poor pressure and repeat efforts. Means when they have all of their talls playing they have a massive lack of pressure.
4- He doesn’t know when to release the ball. His tackle breaking is s huge asset but once he draws players he should release the ball.

Not the only one with these flaws but he will be a tease if he can’t iron some of them out.

He conceded to Cam Mooney after a game last year he can barely bend over for fear of tearing another hammy. One of his big strengths in 2015 was his 'burst'

Unless he gets ripping fit and sheds bad habits he's had for 3 + years, he'll only ever be a handy player for Essendon.

[bornadog]

He conceded to Cam Mooney after a game last year he can barely bend over for fear of tearing another hammy. One of his big strengths in 2015 was his 'burst'

Unless he gets ripping fit and sheds bad habits he's had for 3 + years, he'll only ever be a handy player for Essendon.

Has been ordinary since 2015.

[SonofScray]

Didn't realise we were losing.

I loved Jake and hope it works out for him personally. However, he was a mess & wasn't doing what we needed from him. We moved on pretty quick.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Apart from the off field issues Stringer is still struggling with the same issues he had previously.

1- a liability in transition. Watch him on a turnover
2- goes to the back of the pack all the time now. He wasn’t doing this early days and he seems to avoid contact unless he is initiating it. This started mid 2016
3- Poor pressure and repeat efforts. Means when they have all of their talls playing they have a massive lack of pressure.
4- He doesn’t know when to release the ball. His tackle breaking is s huge asset but once he draws players he should release the ball.

Not the only one with these flaws but he will be a tease if he can’t iron some of them out.

You forgot to add injury-prone. Apparently, he has just broken down again with some sort of toe or possibly heartstring ailment.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

In all seriousness, I was so excited by Jake in his early days I made the call he'd be a top 5 player in the comp. After 2015 that call looked pretty good, but he's been pretty average since. Some flashes of brilliance but the same issues which hampered him in 2016 still hampered him in 2019.

For a guy with so much talent, skill, strength and speed he should be so much better.

[The Adelaide Connection]

In all seriousness, I was so excited by Jake in his early days I made the call he'd be a top 5 player in the comp. After 2015 that call looked pretty good, but he's been pretty average since. Some flashes of brilliance but the same issues which hampered him in 2016 still hampered him in 2019.

For a guy with so much talent, skill, strength and speed he should be so much better.

+1.

Do you remember the first goal he kicked in the NAB cup game? I remember rewinding it on FOX and watching it back a few times and was pretty damn excited about him.

[comrade]

+1.

Do you remember the first goal he kicked in the NAB cup game? I remember rewinding it on FOX and watching it back a few times and was pretty damn excited about him.

That was Jake's problem...

He got pretty damn excited about Jake Stringer too.

[jeemak]

That was Jake's problem...

He got pretty damn excited about Jake Stringer too.

So much so that not working on the basics, his fitness or becoming a student of forward craft to mix his game up a little is what's holding him back when things aren't entirely on his terms.

Teams worked out in 2016 that if you get body on him early, make him contest aerially rather than from behind and limit his leading space he's relatively ineffective most of the time.

[Remi Moses]

As others pointed out
Stringer put himself in the departure lounge in 2017
He plays a bit on his own terms IMHO

[Mofra]

I think he can put it all together, but the defensive side of his game isn't instinctive. He can do it though - 14 tackles in his first two games for Essendon. As time wore on his attacking instincts took over and hois tackling dropped off.

If 2015 hadn't happened people would probably be happy with his game, the issue is he's a good player who once looked set to be a star.

[Remi Moses]

I think he can put it all together, but the defensive side of his game isn't instinctive. He can do it though - 14 tackles in his first two games for Essendon. As time wore on his attacking instincts took over and hois tackling dropped off.

If 2015 hadn't happened people would probably be happy with his game, the issue is he's a good player who once looked set to be a star.

Malthouse got into him in his first season at essendon for his non defensive forward pressure

[Topdog]

I think he can put it all together, but the defensive side of his game isn't instinctive. He can do it though - 14 tackles in his first two games for Essendon. As time wore on his attacking instincts took over and hois tackling dropped off.

If 2015 hadn't happened people would probably be happy with his game, the issue is he's a good player who once looked set to be a star.

But he doesnt need to put on 7 tackles a game to be good. Just needs to actually care and he doesnt have the fitness to do that.

[GVGjr]

When he is switched on he is a terrific player. Yes he has some deficiencies but we learned to accept them when he played for us.

Most Essendon fans that I know think he's been good enough

He is always capable of so much more but he may never get to that level

[bornadog]

But he doesnt need to put on 7 tackles a game to be good. Just needs to actually care and he doesnt have the fitness to do that.

He is actually a lazy player, so training, effort, intensity just not there. When he was younger he relied on his freakish skills to get him through games, but now he can only apply those skills when he gets the easy ball. Still good for probably 25 to 30 goals a year, but he has teased us and we thought he would be an absolute star.

Currently, A good ordinary player at best.

[EasternWest]

When he is switched on he is a terrific player. Yes he has some deficiencies but we learned to accept them when he played for us.

Most Essendon fans that I know think he's been good enough

He is always capable of so much more but he may never get to that level

I agree with all of this.

I have nothing against him really, as a few posters seem to do. He could have been anything with us, still could be, but I doubt it will happen.

He's a decent player limited by his own effort (or lack of). A bit of a bonehead off field apparently and I wasn't upset to lose him.

[Rocket Science]

As others pointed out
Stringer put himself in the departure lounge in 2017
He plays a bit on his own terms IMHO

There's a segue crack in there begging re: Jakey's pre-season self-assessment but in truth you simply can not top him humbly broadcasting to the world he was "borderline flying".

Covid19 has a lot to answer for.

[Bulldog4life]

Jake's off field antics was the reason he was shown the door. A premiership player for us so will be always welcomed back to the club.

[Mitcha]

#borderlinefloundering