Brent Stanton says he’s feeling ‘refreshed and energetic’ as he prepares to begin his 14^th AFL season.

The veteran returned to the field on Sunday for his first game of the 2017 campaign.

It marked the first time he’s donned the sash in 541 days, but the layoff has helped revitalise the 248 game player.

“I have no doubt that I’m more refreshed and energetic and really pushing and driving not only my own career, but probably others around the football club,” Stanton told RSN.

“Who knows how long some of us returning guys have left and we haven’t had too much success as a Football Club in the last ten years, so that’s something we want to get out of however long we have left.”

A beacon of consistency throughout his career, Stanton enjoyed watching the development of younger leaders Zach Merrett and Joe Daniher in 2016.

This year, Dyson Heppell takes over the captaincy reigns from Brendon Goddard and Jobe Watson.

“Dyson is a unique person in the way that he leads and the way he wants to go about it,” he said.
“You’ve seen those qualities since the first day he walked into the Football Club.

“No stone is left unturned, he’s a professional kid who asks lots of questions and is really eager to get success in his reign of captaincy."

Stanton’s pre-season commenced in early November. He and the other returning players trained alongside the first to fourth year players before the rest of the playing group returned later that month.

“From the first day we walked back into the footy club last year, it was a whole new place, it was fresh and it was exciting,” Stanton said.

“That is why the guys are so energetic and enthusiastic about where this football Club can go in the near future. 

“John [Worsfold] has set up a really program and you can see all of the young talent coming through as well.

“We’ve got a great balance there at the moment, obviously there will be a few hurdles along the way but we’ve just got to suck it up and try to get the most out of what we can achieve this year.”