BENDIGO Pioneers utility Jake Stringer will soon be the proud owner of two brand new Sherrins after he put a year out with broken leg behind him to play in the AIS-AFL Academy's game against the Box Hill Hawks at the MCG last month.

New Vic Country coach Mark Ellis, who lives in the same street as Stringer, is on the hook for the footies after losing a friendly wager.

"He didn't think I'd be ready to play, so there were two footies on the line for me [if I played], otherwise I'd mow his lawn for a year," Stringer said.

"He's just got a little patch of lawn, but he reckoned I had to do it with scissors.

"I'm certainly glad that I've got two footies coming my way."

Stringer, a powerfully built prospect who can play at either end of the ground, was all set to go on the Academy's tour of Europe last year when he badly broke his left leg in a tackle during the Pioneers' first game of the TAC Cup season.

Ellis, who was coaching Bendigo that day, suffered two broken legs during his own playing days and knew instantly that Stringer had a long road ahead of him.

"Things have a changed a lot with rehab and all that sort of stuff, but there's still a huge psychological part to it," Ellis said.

"But talking to him [over the last year] I thought he adapted to that part really well.

"He took it all on the chin and he was virtually an assistant coach for the rest of the year telling me what to do and how things should be done. We kept him involved as much as we could."

Despite the support of his girlfriend and his parents, who own a dairy farm just outside of Bendigo, Stringer admits to some low points as he battled through the pain and monotony of rehab.

Amazingly, he took his place in the Academy squad 12 months to the day after he broke his leg.

"I learned a lot about myself in terms of how far your body actually takes control of your mind, if you let it, and how your mind can actually control your body," he said.

"It's just an amazing thing and fortunately something I was able to work out, which helped a lot.

"It's been a long, painful year, but to be able to play out there with 30 of my best mates on the biggest stage of all is a privilege and something I'm really proud of."

After missing such a pivotal period of footballing development, any player could be forgiven a few misgivings about getting back on track, but that's not the way Stringer's wired.

"We'll see what happens, but I'm not going to be going out there half-arsed," he said matter-of-factly.

"I'm going out there completely ready in every way possible to put my best foot forward for the year."

Liam Sumner, who was eventually taken by GWS with pick No.10 at last year's draft, kicked six goals for Sandringham to earn a call-up to last year's European tour in place of Stringer.

Mindful of giving him a goal to work towards, AFL high performance manager Michael O'Loughlin promised Stringer a spot on this year's Academy tour of Europe, which left soon after the hit-out against Box Hill.

When the tour wound up last week, Stringer wasted no time before paying his Vic Country coach a visit.

"He came past home the other night and he had a big grin on his face and I knew why," Ellis said.

"I said to him that we didn't say what size footies and that I was just off down the street to buy him a couple of mini-balls.

"But I'm a little bit worried that if I don't give him to the footies my lawn might end up with a little bit of [weed killer] on it, so I better come good [on the bet]."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs