#5 Brent Stanton - returns as VFL coach

HBF line is easy for experienced players who read the game well.

I still wouldn’t play him there to start, Kelly has his measure in terms of one on one defending but if Stants playing off a wing and rolling back to cover Kelly’s man for example or just being an extra in defence it should work out well.

Just great to see him back out and amongst it.

I think Stanton and Kelly can both in there - Stanton instead of Gleeson IMO.

I just laid out a best 22 in that thread and our midfield is stacked. We want some pace in there (e.g. Colyer) and we MUST have Watson, Heppel, Zerret, and I think Hocking while being a bit boring will be in there too - ahead of Parish, Langford, Goddard and a few others.

I wouldn’t complain if Stanton did end up playing midfield and I’m sure he will for large parts of games but without injuries it’s hard to knock someone out of the starting midfield on paper and he did look good in defense.

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As good as Stants has looked in defence, Gleeson has looked even better. Stants never stops running but Marty has got him covered for intercept marking.

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He looked good last week but I wouldn’t be playing him there. Kelly and Goddard are better users, better one one players. He might play some time there but as a permanent HBF when we are crying out for some pace and creativity it doesn’t seem to make any sense.

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Gonna be awesome at HBF this year.

With his endurance he will be able to run off and cover aswell. He is a great long kick and could be highest metres gained by the end of the year.

He is also so composed under pressure, will be a steady head back there.

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STANTS!

He actually doesn’t play well off half back, or in defence generally. He’s not good at getting a kick away quickly. His kicks in defence are often smothered – it happens to all defenders, but to Stanton more often than others.

He’s best on the wing where his job is to get on his own, create and option, receive the ball and run with it. There are few who do it as well.

Being in defence with responsibility for an opponent or a zone is not what he’s good at.

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Thanks SpectatorII, i will notify the club about this grave oversight and ensure he never plays there again

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Yeah I agree. He was awful when played there last week. :fearful:

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Although he was great in defence last week I suspect he was playing loose in defence and/or dropping back to ‘fill the hole’. He did this well (and courageously) but we probably need to reserve judgement until we see him in a few defensive one-on-ones.

Let’s be honest this probably isn’t far from the mark. Most durable bloke on the list, has been for years. Could play til 300 games and beyond quite easily.

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I’m still not convinced about him in defence and with the new interchange rules I’m not sure why he isn’t in the middle. Would have thought the new rules are made for him.

He has mentioned that the rough plan is for him to split his time between the two, despite not really doing it in the pre-season.

Yet another hint that what we saw in jlt may not have been the full package

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Love him down back but hope that doesn’t mean he doesn’t play midfield anymore. His gut running and ability to give as another option is crucial for the team and gives a point of difference.

Played as if he never missed last year. I thought of the returning players he’d be the least affected by missing a season. He’s a remarkably consistent and durable performer. Could easily keep going for another 2-3 years, he is one of those blokes that won’t decline all of a sudden and be “done”. And with the new wave coming through, being able to play him off a half-back flank or as our 6th-7th midfield in the rotation, he won’t get the attention he did in years gone by. His best years could still be ahead of him!

250th game this Saturday Night. Well done to a loyal servant and a somewhat under-appreciated, unsung hero for many years.

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Loved how Tippa was happy to give it off to Stants for the 2 big goals. The new combining with the old!

Bet that set play has been done a bit in training over the past few months. Wonder how many times we will see that this year?

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Stantons value to the club has been undervalued for a couple of years now. In the 2015 season, while everything around him was turning to ■■■■■ Stanton was one of the senior players who stood up tall and provided the on field leadership you would expect of a 200 game player.

You would like to think that the limited rotation rule would suit his ability to gut run through games.Also his ability to kick long range goals on the run has to be valued.

Did he play off half back against Hawthorn?

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Pretty much half-back / rebounding / wing.

I thought he was remarkably neat. We know he gets through a lot of work, take that as given, but he barely made a fumble or mis-step which he can be prone to under good pressure like the Hawks applied in 2nd & 3rd Q.

I think it’ll be good for the younger defenders to have Kelly & Stanton floating around with all their experience

super effort from Brent to hit 250. He is so consistent and durable - a great Essendon man that we are lucky to have.
Congrats on the 250 and let’s hope we get the W for him this week.

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I did not expect him to be the designated kicker from 50. The beauty of that is neither did Hawthorn :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: