VFL 2019: Tanner Stanton makes VFL debut for North Melbourne

Tanner Stanton has supported the Kangaroos all his life. Now, after training with the VFL squad all year, he has been called up to wear the blue and white stripes.

Tanner Stanton has supported North Melbourne all his life.

He comes from a family of Roos fans, and, growing up, he thrilled to the deeds of Wayne Carey, Glenn Archer and Brent Harvey.

He’s proud to say he was born in a North premiership year, 1996, as was his sister, Grace (1999).

Last Saturday, Stanton, 23, was called up to wear the blue and white stripes to which he’s so steadfast, playing for North Melbourne’s VFL team against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.

“Amazing feeling,’’ he said. “I’ve supported the club all the way through and to get the chance to play for it on an AFL ground, it was a pretty proud moment, that’s for sure.’’

Who was prouder, him or his father, Hayden, a Kanga from head to toe?

“Definitely dad. He had a tear in his eye, which was nice to see,’’ he said.

Stanton, a left-foot defender, has showed long-distance dedication and lashings of determination to play for North.

He lives at Officer, works as a schoolteacher at Pakenham and plays club football for Garfield, but two nights a week he makes the drive to Arden St for training as a member of the VFL rookie list.

Stanton did pre-season training at Port Melbourne and was among the last players cut.

Port was keen for him to stay on as a development player. North offered him the same position and, as a Roos supporter, he took it.

There were no guarantees about selection.

As it turned out, he had to wait until late in the season for a debut. In the meantime he put together as strong season for Garfield under the coaching of his father.

There were some stirring words before his VFL debut.

“They do a Shinboner speech before each game and we all have our jumper over the shoulder, and then the captain (Dan Robinson) talks about what it means to pull it on,’’ Stanton said. “He welcomed me and the other new player (Jacob Lohmann) as Shinboner brothers and then we ran out. Pretty special.’’

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It was a tough day for the Roos.

Geelong won 21.11 (137) to 5.6 (36). Stanton, wearing No 78, started forward but North had only seven entries in the first half.

Shifted to defence in a lock-down role in the second half, he had five possessions and played about 60 per cent of the game.

Stanton said it was a surreal experience to play alongside AFL players he was used to supporting from the grandstand, including Nathan Hrovat, Dom Tyson and Tom Campbell.

All indications are he will play again in Round 20, when the Kangas host the hot Footscray Bulldogs.

Playing at Arden St will be another buzz for Stanton, who switched his sporting focus to football after playing Premier Cricket at Dandenong.

The true-blue Roo won’t be satisfied with one or two games.

“I’m pretty hungry. I want to keep pushing with my footy,’’ he said. “Don’t want to rest on this. I’ll have a big pre-season and hopefully build on it and play a few more games next year.’’