THE WESTERN Bulldogs' desire to trade Jake Stringer has come after "a level of frustration for a couple of years", says retired skipper Bob Murphy.

After being part of the Bulldogs' historic premiership in 2016, Stringer now finds himself looking for a new club.

Speaking on SEN on Wednesday morning, Murphy said although he hoped the relationship could be patched up, the club's stance should not come as a surprise to Stringer. 

"There's been a level of frustration for a couple of years, and you know after a poor year that change can happen," Murphy said.

"Saying that, I'm still a little surprised at how quickly it escalated." 

Stringer said on Tuesday he was shocked and upset after the Bulldogs told him they wanted to cut ties. 

But Murphy says he finds that hard to swallow, with players and management in constant conversation throughout the year.

"I find that jarring (that Stringer could be shocked)," he said. 

"I think the inference there is that they pulled their punches in the exit meeting and from what I know of (coach) Luke (Beveridge) and the other (Stringer's) management team, that doesn't strike me as accurate." 

Geelong and Essendon have emerged as the frontrunners to lure the 23-year-old, who will nominate his preferred club in the coming weeks.

Stringer played 16 games this season, kicking 24 goals but was dogged by inconsistency.

Murphy said the 23-year-old had all the talent in the world.

"He's got huge self-belief, but he's not yet a fanatic for the daily grind."

If a trade went through, Murphy said the Bulldogs leaders would feel a sense of failure that Stringer's time at the club hadn't worked out.