Stringer simply must go
IF the Western Bulldogs take Jake Stringer back to Whitten Oval next year they are inviting a certain and total catastrophe.
They are right to say that picks 25 and 30 is not a great deal for their star, even if the AFL’s points value tells us it roughly equates to pick 10.
But unless they can turn those two picks into pick 13 at West Coast, they are presented with a simple equation.
Take the picks and let Simon Dalrymple work his magic, or allow a toxic situation to fester with Stringer back at the Dogs next year.
Consider how quickly the situation could turn pearshaped. Given he would know he is there for 12 more months only, what incentive would he have to toe the party line?
Already he has been used as the scapegoat for all that ailed the Dogs this year, when we all know many more players had issues than just Stringer.
What kind of message would it send to the players who right now have had a shot across their bows with his potential exodus. That party time is back? If Stringer had issues with punctuality, with discipline, with workrate, with selfish- ness, with coachability, how would bringing him back in for 12 months fix them?
And not allow those issues to seep across a playing group witnessing one player do what he wants while he marks time.
The message from his camp and his family is that he couldn’t look Luke Beveridge in the eye again and be coached by a man who doesn’t want him.
If the Bulldogs did take picks 25 and 30, how could they turn those picks into good players? Well, as it turns out, it’s what they have been doing for 10 years.
They won a flag 12 months ago with Josh Dunkley (pick 25), Toby McLean (26), Jordan Roughead (31), Easton Wood (47), Lachie Hunter (49, fatherson). Also on the list are Kieran Collins (26), Patrick Lipinski (28) and Lukas Webb (27).
In 2014 they took consecu- tive picks in the mid-40s — Bailey Dale (45) and Caleb Daniel (46). The point is, under master recruiter Simon Dalrymple the Dogs have been all about weight of draft picks.
Taking 9, 25, 28 and 30 to the draft for Dalrymple might unearth the next Bailey Dale or Wood. Or use one of those 20-30 range picks to take Josh Schache, a decision the Dogs could easily sell to their fan base given his talent.