Iโve found myself asking this question a number of times in the past couple of days resulting in a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. Are we sure Jake Stringer isnโt a top 20 AFL player in the 2021 AFL season? Itโs almost ridiculous to even write it but it may be more plausible than first thought. Letโs discuss...
Excluding his 2015 All Australian year, Jake Stringer (#9) is having a career year. Heโs averaging 16 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 5 inside 50โs, 6.5 score involvements and 2 goals a game (13thย in the AFL for goals per game). No other player is averaging 15+ disposals, 5 inside 50โs and +2 goals a game or is even remotely close outside of Toby Greene. Since round 14 , Stringer has been the second highest rated player at Essendon. And itโs easy to see why. In that span, he has averaged 23.6 disposals, 7.4 inside 50โs and 2.6 goals. These are incredible offensive numbers. He has pivoted from his roaming forward role to taking on more responsibility in the midfield due to the absence of Shiel, McGrath and Caldwell. And heโs excelled in his new role. Heโs averaging 4+ more disposals this year than his career average. He has a clear presence in the middle and is so dynamic with his mix of speed and size that he is difficult to match up on.
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Stringer is a burst player in every sense of the word. Not just in relation to his speed but his actual play style.
Just in the last couple of weeks, Stringer amasses the first 4 clearances of the game against North and then kicks 4 goals in 25 minutes later on. Against Geelong, he kicks the first two goals of the game. You get the picture.
His finishing skill on the run makes him one of the best in the league. He doesnโt need much time to finish around goals. Stringer barely grabs this ball before itโs on his foot yet he still flushes it with ease.
The unique combination of speed, strength and skill means Stringerโs a threat anywhere on the ground. Itโs easy to see how he averages 4.2 goal attempts a game (rated elite in the AFL) when you see him do things like this. How many other players can kick this goal? 4-5? If that.
Itโs no secret that the key reason for Stringerโs ascension has been his improved fitness. That hasnโt necessarily coincided with an improved work rate or defensive effort around the ball but more so his aerobic capacity contest to contest. He can now play significant midfield minutes without blowing up later in games. Perfect example against North Melbourne. Stringer kicks those four goals in the space of 25 minutes even though he played heavy midfield minutes throughout the game. The old Stringer would have ran out of gas at 3 quarter time.
Heโs just as much of a mismatch as a forward than a midfielder. Like most of the best AFL players (and certainly top midfielders), Stringer can impact the game both at ground level and in the air (although his marking numbers in all facets have decreased from his career averages). Heโs too strong for a small defender but far too explosive and quick at ground level for a tall. Thereโs only so many Nick Vlaustin type defenders running aroundโฆ
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But yes, youโd think heโs the best player in the AFL based on this description. Well, thereโs other things about Stringerโs game.
He has clear deficiencies. He wouldnโt be so polarising as a player if he didnโt. Stringer has been viewed as quite lazy by the media. Whilst I wonโt go that far โ heโs undoubtedly a one effort player when you watch the film. Heโs great at getting on the move around stoppages but if his first effort doesnโt result in a disposal or a knock on that leads to an eventual disposal, thatโs usually it. He picks and chooses when to provide defensive pressure. Very rarely do you see multiple defensive efforts from Stringer. Around stoppages he can hurt Essendon because he ball hunts and fails to provide coverage out the back of stoppages. He looks to be a ball hunter in areas that expose stoppage exits (he usually comes from the front of the stoppage but can get sucked in to the contest whilst an opposition on-ball wingmen holds their space).
Here, Stringerโs ball watching allows Oliver to cut around the back and through the front of the stoppage.
Stringer can be a down hill skier. When he realises that Essendon are going to win a clearance outside of his general vicinity, he bolts forward. He has a knack for finding the open space ahead of the ball. Again, he creates match up problems when he does this as he usually gets picked up by a small defender on the way through. This is how he gets four shots at goal a game. But you donโt see this type of running the other way. Sometimes, he goes too early and leaves his direct match up free on the counter attack. Itโs not the in close stuff that he is poor at โ he averages four tackles a game. Itโs more so his defensive spread once the ball leaves a contest. The positive sign is that heโs improving and Stringer shows glimpses of unselfishness.
Itโs just not consistent.
But thatโs the thing with Stringer. When heโs in this kind of form, you take the very good for the somewhat bad. Essendon have defensively capable midfielders in Merrett, Parish and Langford (when healthy) to minimise some of the cracks left by Stringerโs defensive deficiencies. On the other side of the ball, Essendon get one of the most damaging goal kicking midfielders in the AFL who punishes teams that give him space. To Stringerโs credit, neither North or Essendon players stood up and kicked the important goals when required except for Stringer. Stringer took on the responsibility and kicked all of his goals. No one can deny that he is a great finisher.
Can a player that has clear flaws be a top 20 player in 2021? Absolutely. Does that mean he is one?
Probably not โ although heโs close. Without doing my list extensively (Would people like this done with detailed analysis? Let us know), he probably sits around the late 20โs / early 30โs mark. The volatility in his performances game to game (although heโs been more consistent this year) and the fact that heโs missed 5 games doesnโt help his case. Heโs also never finished within the top 10 of Essendonโs B&F although voting systems within internal B&Fโs can be quite arbitrary and that result should change this year.
Good news, Dons fans!
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However, the season isnโt over. And Stringerโs last five games have been as impactful as any player in the AFL. If Stringer isnโt kicking his two goals a game, heโs getting 20+ disposals and generating meaningful offensive drive with his high inside 50 numbers. If he struggles to find the football in the midfield (as on the weekend), he pushes forward and puts himself in dangerous positions to kick goals. When fit and firing, Jakeโs a headache for opposition teams.
What heโs worth is another question all together. He isnโt revered as an A grade footballer given his inconsistencies year to year. The consistency has been there this year but itโs directly correlated to his fitness. If that fitness goes, all of a sudden the lack of defensive work rate becomes a major liability without the goal kicking rewards. That makes him impossible to value because heโs such an unknown commodity with incredibly volatile upside AND downside risk. Regardless, Stringerโs a match winner evidenced on the weekend. Match winners are few and far between and are well compensated in the AFL.
With all of this, Stringer is legitimate and is an important piece to Essendonโs puzzle. Maybe not now, but he may very well be a top 20 AFL player by the end of the year. Let that sink in.
Let us know if you agree.
This article was originally published atย Footy Talking Points.
