Essendon’s Jake Stringer is again dealing with fitness issues ahead of the 2023 season.
The 28-year-old forward/midfielder reportedly has a back problem which has restricted him from training with the main group this week.
Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary provided some detail about Stringer on SEN’s Sportsday.
“He’s got back soreness right now and he sat out (Thursday),” Cleary said.
“In isolation that wouldn’t be much of a drama. Before Christmas the groins were still sort of hanging around, he was on limited duties in November, then started to train more as the pre-season progressed through December.
“He hasn’t been able to string, pardon the pun, a lot of pre-season together.
“Bit of a watch on Jake Stringer heading into Round 1.
“I’ve got no doubt he’ll be there but it’s just a matter of whether he can have that midfield explosion or whether he’s closer to goal. His fitness might hamper him having a full impact on a game like he has in recent times.”
In response, Kane Cornes wondered if Stringer is giving himself the best opportunity to perform consistently at the elite level.
The former Bulldogs has tallied 10, 19 and 15 games respectively in each of the last three seasons, suggesting to Cornes that he isn’t quite preparing himself as best he could.
“Rinse and repeat with Jake Stringer,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast’s Fireball Fridays.
“It was revealed that Stringer has been removed from the main program due to back soreness.
“I saw him turn up on day one of pre-season and he just didn’t look fit. I’ve got no sympathy for full-time professional athletes, even if you’ve been on eight weeks’ holiday, who turn up not looking fit.
“Unsurprisingly, he ramps up his training, he looks really good and plays well in an intra-club and then all of a sudden his body breaks down.
“I reckon this happens every single year for Jake. He’s now 28 years of age.
“Am I too hard on that?”
Co-host David King is not as critical as Cornes, preferring to lend a more sympathetic ear for Stringer and his body woes.
“I think you’ve been consistent, if not anything else,” King said.
“That’s a fair starting point, but some guys are not as easy on the eye as others. I sort of think Jake is there, that’s his physique.
“He would have had nine shots at goal in a 4 x 15-minute practice match last week. He was awesome playing basically full-forward. He went into the centre bounce once or twice but that wasn’t his primary function.
“Is he more suited to just being a full-forward than an on-ball/forward?”
Cornes replied: “He hasn’t learnt the lessons required to be that powerful player and prepare yourself for that role.”
King feels that there is a bit of 'damned if you, damned if you don’t' when it comes to Stringer and his training regime.
He added: “Didn’t he come back last year too fit and have groin soreness? Didn’t he do a stack of off-season work and suffer a soft start to the year because of groin problems?
“I’m a sympathiser. I can understand that this is not his time or phase (of year). There are guys who love pre-season and embarrass all those that can’t run. Particularly with the repeat time trials, guys who can’t run are a disaster.
“But he hasn’t played a full season of football since 2016. So maybe there’s some truth to that.
“Maybe his body is not really geared for this even though he’s exceptional at it.”
Cornes concluded: “Bombers fans, are you as frustrated as I am? Probably more so.”
Stringer will strive to return to full fitness as the Dons continue their preparations for the 2023 season.
They meet Gold Coast (February 23) and St Kilda (March 3) in practice matches before opening the new campaign against Hawthorn at the MCG on March 19.