It could have been Jake Stringer’s first game after a hamstring injury, but that didn’t stop Essendon coach Ben Rutten from asking the star midfielder for more.
Stringer, who had not played since the seventh round, remained silent during the Bomber’s 26-point defeat to the Blues.
The 28-year-old was limited to just nine discards, seven kicks, two handballs and one back.
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Essendon Press Conference | 03:47
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After the defeat, the 10th of the season, Rutten did not leave much to the imagination, as he demanded more from his senior player.
“I hope so. He’s played a bad game tonight, he’s a senior player for us, we need more of him. I hope he bounces back,” Rutten said.
Nor did he drop the match’s lack of training as an excuse for the disappointing return.
“I don’t think (needs more training),” Rutten said.
“His last few weeks: he would have played last week if we hadn’t said goodbye, so his preparation has been good.”
Jake Stringer was criticized for his disappointing return to the Fire Department on Friday night. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
On his 150th birthday, Essendon was just in the middle of the second term.
But Carton’s ability to quickly transfer to the 50-yard line and seize his chances hurt Essendon’s chances of getting upset.
“I thought our overall job in the competition (it was good), we had 75 weird tackles, we were able to get our share of the competition. Carlton has been pretty good in this space around the stops and his disputed work,” he said. dir Rutten.
“I think we were ahead in our ground balls in the 50’s, which is an important statistic in general, this is what gives you the opportunities around the goal.
“Running around the target, running around the ground, there’s still some cost to us in these areas.”
Meanwhile, Blues coach Michael Voss has confirmed that Adam Cerra will miss next week’s game against Richmond due to a hamstring injury.
“Until I get scans, as we usually do with these, we’ll wait and see how it looks. No doubt we expect it to be at the lower end, but right now tension in the hamstrings,” Voss said.
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Voss, however, said that his percentage (114) was a concern in advance and instead said that the only goal remained to secure another victory.
“It doesn’t bother me, I don’t look at it, to be fair. From day one, and you’ve heard me talk about it every time I’ve sat here, we celebrate the four points, ”Voss said.
“This is an extremely tough environment in which we play. We don’t take for granted what they have given us, because we deserve it. There was a lot going on around the game about Essendon and what they were celebrating (150 years), and it was a very important night for them.
“We were aware of all this, the players were very prepared for it, but most importantly, I think we noticed a way we wanted to play. In some areas, that took us away, but I’m happy. “Our players have been able to adapt and we have won in a slightly different way. Part of our transition to the back half was fantastic.”
With the win, the Blues jumped ahead of Geelong and St Kilda temporarily in fourth place.
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