Following reports that the AFL integrity unit has warned Essendon about who they let into their rooms, Matthew Lloyd is concerned it could impact Jake Stringer‘s chance of being traded out.
It comes after the Bombers were warned for Stringer and delisted player Nick Hind’s association with “undesirable” figures, according to the Herald Sun.
The club is now being forced to be hyper-aware of who exactly enters their rooms post-match.
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Now, with the Bombers on high alert, Lloyd is turning his focus to just how much these issues will hinder Stringer’s chances of landing at a new club.
It follows Essendon only offering the 30-year-old a one-year contract extension, when he reportedly pushed for two.
“Part of me feels that the Bombers are wondering (if) they’d be a better place without him (Stringer),” Lloyd said on Nine’s Footy Classified on Wednesday night.
He is now urging the Bombers to stick to their guns and keep control over the forward, who is in the spotlight in more ways than one.
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“(Offer Stringer) one year and say, ‘if you can find two (at a different club), good luck to you. We’ll take you at what we think is fair’,” he said.
“Jake probably thinks, ‘I’ve played my last game (at Essendon)’, but this certainly isn’t going to help him in regards to other clubs.
“It’s not the situation he would want.”
And Damien Barrett is already concerned it has ruined Stringer’s chances of completing a trade to rivals Collingwood.
“We know there were people at Collingwood arguing for him heavily and there were equally people at Collingwood saying, we are not touching him,” he said.
“I’d imagine (this report) has probably pushed it over the edge.”
The AFL trade period begins on Monday, October 9.