“When it came that I was delisted at the end of 2009, my mum asked me what I wanted to do now and I said I’m going to play AFL football,” Stanley said.
“I knew that I was good enough, and if given the opportunity, that I would make a good fist of it.”
After being taken by the Magpies alongside future stars Dale Thomas and Scott Pendlebury with the 21st pick in the 2005 AFL National Draft, Stanley will be the first to admit he entered the league with an unrealistic mindset on how to achieve success at the elite level.
“Basically after getting drafted to Collingwood, as a young kid I was probably thinking that it was going to happen sooner than what it did having had a pretty big body for my age,” he said.
“I figured I’d play a few games in my first year then gradually build on that as a regular player, but reality hit and I was playing VFL footy and also VFL reserves at some stages.
“I just couldn’t seem to crack in no matter what I did.”
Ironically, it was his future senior coach in Guy McKenna that offered friendly career advice to the struggling teenager.
“Guy McKenna was the midfield coach at the time and I asked him what I could do, and his advice was that you can only control what you control which is playing good, consistent footy – and so that’s what I did,” said Stanley.
“Unfortunately I guess I either wasn’t good enough or there were players ahead of me doing it better, and while five games in four years probably wasn’t the best outcome, it certainly fuelled my fire and hunger to relish the second chance that I’ve been given.”
McKenna clearly saw enough potential in the fierce midfielder during his coaching apprenticeship at Collingwood, offering Stanley a lifeline when he activated the club’s last pick in the 2010 Pre-Season Draft on the former Magpie.
“He understands he isn’t a first round draft pick, plays within his limitations and he works through them,” McKenna said.
“He’s been a very solid player for us and has finished in the top five of our best and fairest for three consecutive years, after only playing just 13 games last year.”
Stanley believes a new home has rejuvenated his love for the game.
“I often wonder had I played early on in my career and tallied eight years of football if I’d still be as excited or if it would have become mundane,” he said.
“But you just get that energy with all the young boys around you, and it makes you want to go out there and keep playing with them because the feeling you get from winning is amazing.
“I feel so blessed to know what I’ve overcome and to continue doing what I’ve always wanted to do.”
