8 goals 1 behind since going 0-4 in round 1. It’s a nice feeling having a key forward who can kick straight.
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Heretier Jones
Es Beuno
I have to give money to Murdoch tho
Essendon has kicked off contract talks with emerging forward Harrison Jones but must haggle over Jake Stringer’s rising price tag given his stunning early-season form.
The Dons’ forward line appeared decimated as they rebuilt in 2020 but Jones and Stringer have paired well with Cale Hooker (21 goals) and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (18 goals).
Second-year key forward Jones took five contested marks in a three-goal performance against Carlton as a breakout performance of an encouraging second season.
His initial season was wiped out by a footy stress fracture injury but the No.30 selection in the 2019 national draft appears a 10-year player for the Dons.
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Contract talks have begun between Harrison Jones and the Bombers. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Essendon will also be keen to extend their trio of top-10 picks in Archie Perkins, Nik Cox and Zach Reid past their initial two-year deals.
But Stringer’s explosive form will require a chunk of Essendon’s two-million dollar plus cap space given his start to the year as a mid-forward.
He is coming off a four-year initial deal of around $2.2 million at Essendon and having only turned 27 last week is entering the peak of his career.
Stringer’s value to Essendon is as a point of difference midfielder who is equally comfortable in the centre square or as a leading forward.
He has kicked 12.5 from seven games so far this year but is also averaging 5.6 score involvements, 3.2 clearances and 2.8 centre clearances.
As the Herald Sun revealed this week the Bombers have scored from 15 per cent of his clearances since Round 3 – ranked second of the top-25 midfielders to attend a centre bounce.
If he can continue that form for the rest of the season he will show he can command the kind of $800,000-per-season figures that the league’s premier midfielders are able to secure.
Jake Stringer has had a significant impact through the midfield this seaosn. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
It would also allay the need for another crack at Josh Dunkley as a mid-forward given Essendon’s midfield depth includes Andy McGrath, Darcy Parish, Dylan Shiel, Jye Caldwell, Zach Merrett, Perkins, Cox and Kyle Langford.
Essendon is increasingly confident of securing Merrett, who could yet be the club’s next captain given his strong leadership and consistent form.
At this stage the Dons do not have the draft collateral for a serious crack at Dunkley, with the asking price last summer two first-round picks.
Essendon has its first selection in the draft, currently pick four, but moved on its second pick to GWS (who on-traded it to Geelong) in the Jy Caldwell trade.
Dogs chief executive Ameet Bains said the club “absolutely” expected rivals including Essendon to go again over the contracted Dunkley.
The Dons used three first-round picks this year but would likely need to hand over a top-five pick or use a first-rounder this year and next year’s first-rounder on Dunkley.
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Bullshit article.
We have a ridiculous amount of cap space.
We will easily have enough to re-sign Jones & Bryan, and extend Cox, Perkins and Reid past their initial two-year deals.
The article also doesn’t mention that Hooker, Hurley & Zaharakis are all nearly finished, which will free up even more cap space.
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Article put out by Strings and Merretts management. Nothing but a bit of fluff.
Those two would be priority signings this year.
We would have a number required by Dunkleys management already so it wouldn’t be hard to work out how to tie up Zach and Stringer.
I can’t see Dunkley being anymore than a long shot get and personally wouldn’t want to sacrifice even just a single first round pick. Given we are heading towards bottom four, Let’s grab the best available mid from what is looking like being a midfielder heavy draft. We have salary cap space so let’s go hard at free agency for a senior gun.
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Stringer $800k? Please
Market dictates your value.
Nobody would offer him more than $650k
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Of course it is. Someone was told to write something about Essendon and what better approach to take than to write about contract negotiations, attempts to lure a player from a rival club and how good Stringer has been this season? (He has. It’ll be interesting to see how long yesterday’s injure keeps him out.) It’s a ‘puff piece/filler’, nothing more.
Spot on. Cox is going to be a gun but probably gets a little more attention than Jones because he’s that magic no. of 200cm and mobile instead of just 196cm and mobile.
Jones tracking along every bit as well considering the possie he’s playing… the coaches would be pumped
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It’ll be hard for Stringer to negotiate a significant deal from his usual MidSeason rehab suite
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Love big H, already showing he has tremendous ability.
Can’t wait until he’s stringing together consistent 4 quarters, has a big tank, already for his size. He comes alive late in games. Going to absolutely run opponents to the ground.
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I noticed on ANZAC day that he likes to mark at the front of a pack, rather than over the pack. Not afraid of going into packs, unlike JD who eschewed pack mark attempts.
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You forgot to add the soulless, selfish and flog stats in which JoeDan would dominate.
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That’s a graph I can get onboard with!!
Behinds stats would be more interesting
Jones - 4 behinds
Darcy’s little brother - 10 behinds
*Through first 8 matches.
**Does not include oof.
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