Common themes emerge when those that know him best speak about Brent Stanton.

Dedicated. Hard working. Durable. Consistent. Caring.

Those qualities have helped propel the Banyule junior into an exclusive club reserved only for some of Essendon’s most decorated champions. 

On Saturday night Stanton will play his 250^th match, joining other Essendon greats including Tim Watson, Simon Madden, Dick Reynolds, James Hird and Dustin Fletcher.

“Every great player prepares really well and ‘Stants’ probably prepared as well as anyone I’ve ever seen and played with in the game,” 270 game player Matthew Lloyd said.

“He didn’t say a lot when he first got to the Club – we used to call him ‘Humphrey’ because he just didn’t say boo.

“But he just meant business with the way he trained and played.”

Stanton was recruited from the Northern Knights in Victoria’s TAC Cup competition.

He made his debut in round one of the 2004 season in a team that also included Jobe Watson.

The pair have been key figures in the Essendon midfield for more than a decade.

Watson said he admires Stanton’s ability to push himself.

“His durability and his ability to ‘gut-run’ and work back for whole seasons over and over again,” he said.

“Stants is a really caring person and he’s a really caring teammate.”

Stanton's game has evolved throughout his career. Initially an outside runner, he’s improved his contested ball winning and his skills are now a strength.

“He needed a lot of work when he first got to the Club but the amount of hours he spent working on his kicking technique was phenomenal,” Lloyd said.

“His improved skills, to match his hard running, is why he’s been such a consistent player for such a long period of time.”

David Zaharakis was recruited from the same under 18 club as Stanton. 

He said when he landed at Essendon he quickly realised Stanton was a player he could learn from. 

“I tied myself to him straight away because he was the hardest worker on the track,” Zaharakis said.

“He’s been the fittest guy at the Club for the 12-13 years he’s been here. He constantly works on his aerobic ability.

“His willingness to get better is something I looked up to as a young fella.

“To get 250 games is an amazing achievement but that comes through his hard work and dedication.” 

Stanton’s first Coach, Kevin Sheedy, said the 30 year old's work ethic could allow him to play on for a number of seasons. 

“His dedication has got him to 250 games so far, and the rest will be what he really sets his sights on,” Sheedy said. 

“While there can be some frustration with a little bit of a lack of skill now and then, I could have said that about four Essendon champions that I coached.

“It’s hard to find the perfect player so Brent’s best footy might be ahead of him – he might win the best and fairest this year, it’s up to him.”