Jake Stringer is used to the constant critiques – of his preparation, his consistency, and even who he socialises with.
“Am I unfairly criticised? Maybe some of it I deserve. Some of it I don’t,” Stringer told this masthead ahead of his Greater Western Sydney debut on Saturday.
Jake Stringer is enjoying life at GWS and ready for his first game for the club.Credit: Getty Images
Stringer, the explosive forward who crossed to the Giants when Essendon was unwilling to offer him more than a one-year contract extension at the end of last season, has been turning heads at his new club not just for his raw ability with the ball in hand, but for his defensive running, tackling and leaner physique.
As he drives to his new rental pad in Coogee, he admits that the constant media attention in Melbourne took its toll.
And he is adamant he did not deserve the attention that came his way when he was publicly linked with convicted killer Kamil Yucel, who visited the Essendon rooms in June last year. However, the footage of Yucel in the background while teammate Nick Hind was interviewed during a “Roaming Brian” segment on Channel Seven did not come to light until October.
The Herald Sun reported that the AFL Integrity Unit had warned the Bombers to be vigilant about who was allowed into their change rooms.
Stringer insists he was not spoken to at the time about the presence of Yucel, who had been sentenced to five years’ jail for manslaughter in 2016.
“I was never told about it, that it was a problem, or anything that happened, until pretty much trade week,” said Stringer.
“And then I was like, well, this is interesting that this has come out now. They’re the things that annoyed me. Annoyed me because I’m like, well, that’s got nothing to do with me, but I’m trying to move clubs [and] all of a sudden I’ve betrayed this or betrayed that.
“It was bizarre, that whole thing. It’s just another example of someone leaking something at a time that it was like that it was never a problem. I was never told about. It was never an issue. And then, all of a sudden, it was a big issue.
“I think that incident was the middle of the year, and I’m finding out the week I’m trying to get a trade. You tell me. That was in June, and it didn’t get released until trade week. That’s a bit interesting isn’t it, don’t you think?
Stringer denied having a close association with Yucel.
“There are a million people who I’ve had coffee with and caught up with. He was someone that was always at the cafe, that’s all there really is to that,” he said.
The sight of Stringer running out alongside the likes of Toby Greene, Aaron Cadman, Jesse Hogan and Brent Daniels will send shivers down the spines of opposition supporters.
But that’s nothing compared to what it will do to Essendon supporters, particularly if Stringer can back up his 42-goal season from last year.
While he described the break-up as “mutual”, Stringer conceded it was Essendon who initiated the possibility of a trade and encouraged him to look for alternative suitors.
Stringer training with his GWS teammates.Credit: Phil Hillyard
And the premiership Bulldog, who turns 31 next month, now finds himself playing for a team widely considered to be flag favourites in 2025.
“Myself, (Essendon coach) Brad Scott, my management, we just came to the conclusion that, you know, they were clear on the path that they were going down, and I was pretty keen to go try and get success again.”
Stringer is slimmer and more streamlined after an intense training block. Insiders at GWS believe the former Bomber had to adapt to a whole new level of training intensity, but the man himself was respectful of his former club.
“I’d be doing Essendon an injustice if I said that it was really different. I mean, the weather is obviously a big factor. It’s humid out in Western Sydney, so it gets pretty hot and stuffy out there,” he said.
“But, every club is different. And what I’ve noticed is the standards – well not necessarily the standards – but the way they train and the way they go about is very impressive. There’s no denying that.”
Stringer has loved his early life in Sydney. After 12 seasons of playing footy in Victoria, he’s not missing the Melbourne weather. In fact, by his own admission, he doesn’t believe he’s put a jumper on since making the move in November last year.
He’s also instantly felt part of the GWS family.
“They have been first class. I could not speak one bad word about the Giants and how they have welcomed me and made me feel.”
Stringer also admits that being out of the Melbourne bubble may help him. Staying under the radar in Sydney is something that will suit him, but he had developed strategies to help him deal with the constant criticism that would follow him around in Victoria.
“Some of it’s annoying because, I mean, you don’t find too many teammates who will ever talk bad about me,” he said.
“Everyone is going to have an opinion, and everyone seems to have an opinion on me, which I don’t know why.”
So why is it that he attracts so much attention?
“I’m not the person to ask, I don’t have an opinion on myself I just … [try to be the best] father I can and try and be the best teammate I can,” he said.
“It does get annoying and hard … but whatever, it is what it is, people get paid to do their job, like I paid to do my job.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
