Bombertalk

Brent Stanton.

First they said his short kicking wasn't good enough. Now he can spear a pass 40m into our 50.

Then he was critised for not being accountable enough. He now leads the club in tackles this season.

Last night he had 22 kicks, 10 handballs, 9 tackles and 3 goals.
Awesome complete performance by him. He really has worked on every part of his game that has been considered a weakness to become a very complete midfielder.

Yep, the thing about Stanton is that he has continued to make little improvments, and they go un-noticed, until you look at how he is playing now compared to the start of the season, and it's apparent he is a far better footballer. I thought he was our best mid-fielder after Welsh last night.

I had stuck up for this bloke over the last 2 years. I then "disowned" him after his squib effort against Carlton in R3 when he got out of the way of a leading Fevola. Since then, though, he has gradually made up for it. Applied more defensive pressure than he ever has in his career (evidenced by leading our tackle count - who would have thought?), and also providing damaging run with excellent delivery. Last night he was brilliant.

Gossy wrote:Last night he had 22 kicks, 10 handballs, 9 tackles and 3 goals.
Awesome complete performance by him. He really has worked on every part of his game that has been considered a weakness to become a very complete midfielder.

There are only two or three blokes his age in the league that have ever had a game like that and none of us gave him BOG. Shows just how hard we mark the kid.

He turned 22 in May... Imagine how good he's going to be at 24-25!

His best moment for me was the spearing 40m pass out of the backline. Awesome.

It's good to see he's well and truly out of the line of fire of the BT gun...

Go Stants. Go Don's.

Too true Filth.

This is he aspect of his game that I am loving. Looks like a Geelong or Brisbane mid-fielder from 3 or 4 seasons ago. Big arse, not easily moved off the ball, good closing speed, smart positioning in and around the packs, poise and great delivery.

Can't remember who, but one of the commentators last night actually labelled him a gun.

Great game last night, but the goals are a bit misleading, they were all kicked late in the last quarter to give us some breathing space, but after the game had already been essentially won. That's the only think he needs to work on, getting forward and kicking goals while the game is in the balance. That is what the elite midfielders do.

He has improved significantly but gradually over the course of this year. His kicking accuracy and tackling are, for mine, the two aspects of his game that he has improved the most on. He's almost averaging a goal per game now too - this is an important aspect to the development of all our midfielders as we haven't had enough midfielders who chip in with goals often enough over the last 5 years (we've been overly reliant on Lloyd and Lucas to kick bags).

Still looking for cheap kicks sometimes - there was once in the last quarter (I think) when McVeigh noticably ignored him and kicked the goal himself instead.

But overall has certainly improved. Maybe giving him No.5 wasn't such a bad move after all?

billyduckworth wrote:Still looking for cheap kicks sometimes - there was once in the last quarter (I think) when McVeigh noticably ignored him and kicked the goal himself instead.

But overall has certainly improved. Maybe giving him No.5 wasn't such a bad move after all?

That was amusing. Both were well clear, Mcveigh with the ball and Stanton running along with his hands out as if shrugging his shoulders and asking "why not?"

The pressure of having the number 5 jumper is now wearing off as he makes the number his own. He was great last night.

billyduckworth wrote:Still looking for cheap kicks sometimes - there was once in the last quarter (I think) when McVeigh noticably ignored him and kicked the goal himself instead.

But overall has certainly improved. Maybe giving him No.5 wasn't such a bad move after all?

This is fine. What he does is provide another option. It's up to the ball carrier to do what he likes, but
at least Stanton presents and provides that option. It doesn't matter if it's "cheap" if it benefits the team.

robrulz5 wrote:The pressure of having the number 5 jumper is now wearing off as he makes the number his own. He was great last night.

It'll never be his.

Glad the boy has been able to progress, maybe we're seeing what Hirdy already knew - he had a hand in who the jumper went to, yes?

Megan wrote:

robrulz5 wrote:The pressure of having the number 5 jumper is now wearing off as he makes the number his own. He was great last night.

It'll never be his.

Wasn't there murmurings to this effect back in the day in relation to TD and Hirdy?

How the tide, the wave of criticism can change!

He still struggles taking an overhead contested mark whilst standing on the oppositions shoulders.

BenDoolan wrote:

billyduckworth wrote:Still looking for cheap kicks sometimes - there was once in the last quarter (I think) when McVeigh noticably ignored him and kicked the goal himself instead.

But overall has certainly improved. Maybe giving him No.5 wasn't such a bad move after all?

This is fine. What he does is provide another option. It's up to the ball carrier to do what he likes, but
at least Stanton presents and provides that option. It doesn't matter if it's "cheap" if it benefits the team.

Exactly what I was going to say

You can barely lay blame on a guy for running his guts out providing another option...

BenDoolan wrote:I had stuck up for this bloke over the last 2 years. I then "disowned" him after his squib effort against Carlton in R3 when he got out of the way of a leading Fevola. Since then, though, he has gradually made up for it. Applied more defensive pressure than he ever has in his career (evidenced by leading our tackle count - who would have thought?), and also providing damaging run with excellent delivery. Last night he was brilliant.

Mind you BD, while I never like blokes shirking it on the field, after what happened to Slattery against Fev in the rematch, maybe getting out of the way of Fevola leading with his knee's out is the smart thing to do, rather than the bravest (or stupid?) thing to do.

Stant's has gotten better & better as the year has gone on, & him together with Jobe, will be our main blokes tagged for the rest of the season.

dom_105 wrote:

Megan wrote:

robrulz5 wrote:The pressure of having the number 5 jumper is now wearing off as he makes the number his own. He was great last night.

It'll never be his.

Wasn't there murmurings to this effect back in the day in relation to TD and Hirdy?

Dunno hun, I came to AFL when Hirdy did so... before my time

Stanton was F****** magnificent on the weekend. I can't think of a time he turned it over. Some of his long kicks were amazing - pinpoint accuracy.

He started the year very very slowly but has really picked up. We've gotta remember that he's still only 21.

billyduckworth wrote:Still looking for cheap kicks sometimes - there was once in the last quarter (I think) when McVeigh noticably ignored him and kicked the goal himself instead.

But overall has certainly improved. Maybe giving him No.5 wasn't such a bad move after all?

Thats a part of what he is in the team for...