The pressure heats up
Jesse Stringer is prepared to do everything in his will to make sure 2014 isn't his last year at the club.
GEELONG'S Jesse Stringer is facing a make or break season in 2014.
The speedy midfielder, who was elevated from the Cats' rookie list to their senior list in late 2012, is heading into the final year of his contract with the club.
"This is my fifth year coming up now, so I feel like I've really got to put the foot down and give Scotty and the other coaches a reason to keep me," Stringer told geelongcats.com.au before heading north for Geelong's pre-season camp in Coffs Harbour.
Stringer feels that he must prove himself all over again after wavering form limited him to only seven AFL games in 2013.
"I had a full pre-season last year, felt really fit, and then come round one I had a bit of a sore knee, and that held me back for about a month," the 22-year-old said.
"That put me on the back foot. I got my body right after that, so I can't use injuries as an excuse, but I was in and out of the team and was really inconsistent.
"I'd have a good game in the VFL, then the next week I'd be down in the dumps and couldn't get a kick.
"It was a combination of the way I was playing and the way I felt going into games.
"That's a big thing to work on next year – my consistency in the VFL and AFL. I don't want to do what I did this year and keep playing inconsistent footy.
"Hopefully, I can be a consistent player in our AFL team."
The upside for Geelong's plethora of talented youngsters is that the departures of premiership players Joel Corey, Paul Chapman and Josh Hunt have freed up some places in the team.
"It's exciting for the players and exciting for the club as well," Stringer said.
"We've got a lot of young fellas – a lot of them around my size and height – vying for the same positions.
"It's going to be good for the club, because we’re all going to be pushing each other to get in the team.
"On the track, everyone puts their head down and bum up. If you beat one of the other boys in a contest you always think, 'Yes, you beauty.' We have some good battles."
Stringer weighed just 72kg when he arrived at Geelong after being selected in the 2010 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
He's now a more robust 84kg, but he's working hard on nudging his weight up to around 86kg.
"I've been getting thrown around a bit too much by opposition players," he said.
"The way footy's going now, there are a lot of big bodies in the midfield. I'm a midfielder, so I've got to get a bit more size about me so I can hold my ground.
"I'll keep working on that, and making sure I keep my skinnies (skinfolds) down as well."
Looking towards next season from a team perspective, Stringer is supremely confident that Geelong continues to regenerate its list and remain in premiership contention.
He points to the Cats' consecutive VFL Grand Final appearances as evidence to support his case.
"Us young fellas have shown how well we can work as a team in the VFL," Stringer said.
"We'll keep working on the game-plan that Scotty gives us, and we see no reason why we can't take that form in the AFL and stay near the top."
Twitter: @AFL_AdamMcNicol http://afl.to/adammcnicol
