Greater Western Sydney will have to stump up a multi-year offer to secure contracted Bombers forward Jake Stringer despite looming as the only realistic suitor for the veteran goalkicker.
Stringer has met with Giants officials as they consider whether to take on the talented 30-year-old, who kicked 42 goals in 2024 and would need to offer him at least a two-year deal to make relocating viable.
Jake Stringer could land at his third club as the Giants show interest in the 30-year-old.Credit: AFL Photos
The Giants’ interest in Stringer comes just four seasons after the club recruited Jesse Hogan as a delisted free agent, with the key forward winning the Coleman Medal and club best and fairest after an outstanding 2024.
Essendon are holding firm in not extending Stringer’s contract beyond the end of 2025 but respect his desire to gain more security by seeking a two-year deal.
Bombers list management boss Matt Rosa said tenure has been discussed along the way but they would not budge.
“He has got a deal for us next year and that is where it sits,” Rosa said.
GWS list boss Jason McCartney has a good record of obtaining talented players who may be undervalued at other clubs as they look to land the Giants’ maiden premiership. They have not been shy in recruiting players and backing their culture to get the best out of them, with Steve Johnson and Shane Mumford among a number of players who have had good careers with the NSW club.
Collingwood briefly considered Stringer before electing not to pursue him, after a season in which his goal tally was his highest since kicking the same number in the Western Bulldogs’ 2016 premiership campaign.
That Bulldogs connection with McCartney, who was the list manager at the Whitten Oval, helped create this possibility as the club lost Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming to free agency and are warding off opposition interest in Wade Derksen and Xavier O’Halloran.
“Many people know I have had a long association through my previous role at the Bulldogs, the team that drafted Jake a long time ago,” McCartney said last week.
“I’ll be brutally honest – there have been some preliminary chats a few weeks ago with his management [Connors Sports]. Whether that progresses any further or not, you’re always looking at any way you can improve your list.”
GWS have stressed their interest in Stringer is only preliminary, but they are keen enough that second-year coach Adam Kingsley met with him. Stringer would join a talent-rich forward line that includes Hogan, captain and All-Australian Toby Greene, and former No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman.
GWS recruiting manager Adrian Caruso confirmed on Monday that Stringer remained an option for them, along with ex-Giant-turned-Bomber Dylan Shiel in what would be an unlikely reunion.
Another GWS player, Conor Stone, pick No.15 in the 2020 draft, is on Essendon’s radar in a potentially related situation as he considers whether there will be greater opportunity for him at the Giants now that Isaac Cumming, Harry Perryman and James Peatling won’t be at the club.
Stone would help fill retired ex-captain Dyson Heppell’s void at the Bombers.
In other trade news, Melbourne are interested in securing one of Fremantle’s first-round picks to have an even stronger presence in this year’s draft, repeating a formula that worked well for them in their rebuild by securing two top-10 picks.
Essendon are interested in Giants utlility Conor Stone (right).Credit: Getty Images
The Demons, who already hold pick five, could get their hands on the Dockers’ No.10 or 11, in exchange for a future first-round selection and other assets to give them two high picks in a deep draft.
The Dockers are open to the prospect, having put two of their three first-rounders on the table for contracted Richmond forward Shai Bolton. They are happy to trade picks 11 and 18 for Bolton, but refuse to hand over both 10 and 11.
The negotiations with Port Adelaide for Dan Houston continued to centre on clubs securing the Gold Coast’s available pick 13, which the club is willing to trade to secure points to match any bids for academy graduate Leo Lombard.
Carlton are pushing hard to secure picks for Houston, who has not officially nominated a team he would like to be traded to but had strong early interest in joining the Blues.
The Blues do not want to trade their own first-round selection this year (pick 12), but are among the clubs negotiating with Gold Coast about pick 13 in this year’s draft. Carlton are moving to discuss with other clubs the prospect of securing further future second-round picks to sweeten the offer to Gold Coast for pick 13.
Collingwood have offered their future first-round pick and John Noble to Gold Coast for picks 13 and 23, which would both then be passed on to Port, along with Joe Richards (who on Monday officially asked the Magpies for a trade to Port) in exchange for Houston. The Suns’ starting point is to examine offers from the clubs they need to deal with to secure Richmond’s Dan Rioli and the Magpies’ John Noble.
In other trade news:
- West Coast key forward Jack Darling landed at North Melbourne for pick 67, while Jack Graham exercised his unrestricted free agency rights to ink a four-year deal with the Eagles.
- The Western Bulldogs revealed they have a three-year offer in front of forward-midfielder Riley Garcia, who had interest from Port Adelaide.
- Hawthorn list manager Mark McKenzie ruled out trading Finn Maginness to Essendon.
- Caleb Daniel is weighing up an offer from North Melbourne, although he remains a chance to see out his deal at the Bulldogs. He is contracted until 2026.
- St Kilda played down their chances of landing Jack Macrae as they entered negotiations with the three-time All-Australian, premiership-winning Bulldog.
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