But it could and perhaps should have been three goals for Stringer on the night after he did well to win a free kick but was overlooked by Langford for a hand pass, with his teammate slotting through a goal of his own instead. Stringer drew a free kick at full forward and was pleading to receive the ball from Langford metres out from the posts, flashing his teammate an incredulous look as he booted the goal himself.
AFL greats Garry Lyon and Nathan Buckley both analysed the moment during Fox Footy’s coverage and suggested it showed a lack of chemistry between the Essendon players. They both shared similar views to many fans, pointing out that Stringer is such a confidence player and should have received the hand pass from his teammate under the circumstances.
“He (Langford) was looking behind, he heard the play-on call, he wasn’t involved in the initial contest. His teammate’s calling for it – and he’s calling for it for a good reason because he’s in best position at the time,” Buckley said. “I think it’s an opportunity missed. I think it’s just a chance to feed into that teammanship. I think Kyle Langford’s been one of the more selfless Bombers that I’ve seen.”