A burst rather than endurance athlete his performance in the game - albeit a "friendly" - was an early sign that Stringer's preparation for 2019 has given him a chance to be at his best more often this season than he has been in the past two, a period when his form has been like a yo-yo. Last year Essendon, which used pick 25 and 30 to secure Stringer in the 2017 trade period after he had run his race at the Western Bulldogs after 89 games and a premiership, tried him as a forward who could pinch hit in the middle. Although he kicked 30 goals in 20 games he never settled into a consistent pattern of good form, winning a career-low 36 per cent of disposals inside the forward 50 while winning a career-high 56 per cent of his disposals in the midfield. On reflection he was learning what was required but at the time he seemed all over the place, uncertain, his timing and footwork off. "It really opened my eyes up to how hard you have to work as a midfielder," Stringer said.

"Last year I probably wasn't ready for it, mentally or physically." His style was criticised as the power that allows him to break tackles seemed to disappear and the light feet that sprung him from congestion seemed heavy. It was a turbulent year for Stringer, whose form dropped. Credit:AAP Partly as a result his efforts when without the ball also appeared far from fanatical and it seemed he wanted to go from zero to hero when he won possession. While commentators raged about what he needed to do to become the "Stringer of old", the Bombers stayed in his corner and eventually the wheel began to turn as a tumultuous 2018 moved closer to its conclusion.

His coach John Worsfold, aware Stringer was not humming on all cylinders, kept encouraging him throughout and his teammates rallied as their relationships with him began to grow. "Woosha [Worsfold] was always saying 'It has got to turn, it has got to turn' and then in the second half of the year it did start to turn'," Stringer said. "It still wasn't at the standard I would like it to be." The positive reinforcement was appreciated and part of the reason that when Stringer returned to pre-season training to prepare for 2019 he was determined to reboot his career. It’s often overlooked he is still only 24.

"I know I can do it at the elite level so it was just about getting myself in the right frame of mind to be able to try and produce that week-in, week-out," Stringer said. No one argues about his capability to compete with the best as he showed what he can do four seasons ago when he kicked 56 goals with the Bulldogs and earned selection in the 2015 All-Australian team. What might be up for debate is whether he can reach those heights again. The encouraging sign for everyone at Essendon is that Stringer's numbers read well. Club insiders say he has not missed a session during the pre-season and is in the top five for kilometres covered over summer; the foundation for a season of good form is in place. A few weeks ago Stringer took up his dad John's challenge to stop eating meat for a short period in order to shed a couple more kilograms ahead of the season.

Stringer celebrates with teammate Devon Smith, who has become a close friend. Credit:Morgan Hancock "My old man started [a vegetarian diet] and he trimmed down a bit and began to look all right. He said, 'you won't do it for a couple of weeks' so I said I will give it a go because he knows how much I love meat," Stringer said. "[I've] probably been a bit of a comfort person in my life so it is about trying something different." Other aspects of his life have organically grown in a positive manner; the friendship he has developed with another Bomber recruit Devon Smith is now strong, the pair regularly heading off to the nearby Sunshine golf course to test their game against each other. Smith, who Stringer concedes is a much better golfer than he is, hits off a mark that is less than half his teammate's handicap of 14 but their rivalry is healthy.

Recently Michael Hurley joined the pair down near Lara, where Smith grew up, for a spot of fishing and golf. Simple pleasures have helped Stringer get to a position where those around the club say he is in a good space. That becomes evident as he comfortably discusses football – the detail of his personal life not something he wants to discuss, conscious as he is on the impact such a conversation might have on others – and the joy he gets playing the game in that somewhat risky yet always entertaining manner. "All my footy is based on instinct, sometimes you do things and it works out and sometimes it doesn't," Stringer said. "I think I have just been lucky that the coaches I have had encouraged me to continue to express myself in whatever aspect [I choose], whether it is kicking goals or whatever.

Loading "For me it is just about continuing to trust myself and don't change because people are telling me to change." Stringer suspects his ability to work in tight comes from his basketball days, a game he excelled at as a junior but the coaches at Essendon say his football mind works quicker than most, seeing the space, spotting the options and sometimes imagining the possibilities at breakneck speed. He can be one of those rare players like Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield, who controls the air and swoops when the ball hits the ground — a matchwinner. In the intra-club his use of the ball by hand was superb as he found teammates with room to work in rather than trying to do too much.

"The coaches are always saying 'take the game on, keep going, keep going, work hard'," Stringer said. "It's been a natural progression for me. I had not played much mid time so the more time I spent in there the more comfortable I am getting." No real games have been played but Stringer can't wait. He wants this year to be about football, any cheekiness he displays to be earned through hard work and doing what his team needs him to do. When asked whether he thinks this is a year he could bounce back, a wide grin appears. "You watched training," he said.