Essendon coach Brad Scott has addressed the futures of several unsigned Bombers, including off-contract livewire Jake Stringer.
Stringer, who has yet to extend his stay at Tullamarine beyond this year, is expected to see out the season before making any decisions. His 2024 campaign started strong, with the 30-year-old kicking 23 goals in his first 11 games, including at least one goal per game. Although his form has fluctuated, he recently scored five and four goals in successive matches, with the latter performance contributing to Essendon’s one-point win over Fremantle.
Despite external interest in Stringer’s future, no rival suitors have been linked to the veteran forward, and Essendon will need to finalize any potential deal. Based on Scott’s comments in a recent press conference, it appears likely that Stringer will remain with the Bombers.
“Yeah, I assume [Stringer will be an Essendon player in 2025],” Scott said with a hint of a smile. “I’m not going to get into the business of confirming or denying those things, but my wry smile gives a bit away. We’ve got a list management team that goes about their business. My part in it is to set the vision for the club, coach the players really strongly, and create an environment in which we want every player to stay. We want other players to see Essendon as a place they want to play their footy. But I don’t get into the nitty-gritty of contract negotiations.”
Essendon has several key list decisions to make in the coming months, with players like Jye Caldwell, Matt Guelfi, Alwyn Davey Jnr, Will Setterfield, Dyson Heppell, and Todd Goldstein among the unsigned for next season. Heppell and Goldstein, the club’s two oldest players, will need to decide whether they want to continue playing in 2025, having found themselves out of Scott’s best side.
With retirements being announced across the league as the final three rounds approach, Scott said he is not pressing his veterans for decisions but remains in constant communication with them
“They’ll be decisions for those guys to make, predominantly,” he said. “This part of the year, like most clubs, we’d have weekly list management meetings. Those discussions will be ongoing. I talk to those particular players on a daily basis about how they’re traveling. The great thing for our club is that I’ve rarely come across a group of senior players that focus so much on what’s best for the club.
“In Dyson Heppell’s case, he’s been the face of a really tumultuous period in our history. I’ve said repeatedly we owe him a debt of gratitude. Our club wouldn’t be what it is today without ‘Hep’ leading us through a really difficult period. We’ll keep having those discussions, and ultimately it’ll be Dyson who makes that decision.”
Essendon could rise back into the top eight and sit as high as sixth by the end of the week with a win over Gold Coast on Saturday night at Marvel, potentially claiming successive victories for the first time since Round 11.
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