The eight Essendon coaches since 2004 have had one common trait through the most tumultuous period in the AFL club's history.
They kept picking Brent Stanton.
While the 30-year-old has had plenty of his own ups and downs, Stanton's 250th senior game this Saturday is a fitting reward for his supreme consistency.
Before sitting out last season because of his doping suspension, Stanton had played at least 20 games every year for a decade.
Stanton has polarised opinion at times among Bombers fans and the media - an internet search of his name immediately comes up with "whipping boy".
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The utility could not care less.
"Everyone is open and right to their own opinion - I must be doing something right, because the coaches keep picking me every week.
"You guys have columns to write and that's all good and well.
"But I keep on trying to improve my game and that's the main thing I've focussed on through my whole career - try and control the things I can and everything will take care of itself.
"Saying that, the fans have been fantastic."
Kevin Sheedy was coach when Stanton made his AFL debut in 2004 and made a huge early impression on the shy teenager.
Between Sheedy and legendary Brisbane midfielder Nigel Lappin, Stanton quickly learned the value of working his backside off.
"Kevin Sheedy took me under his wing and showed me the ropes," Stanton said.
"He showed me a work ethic that I needed to get to.
"It was about my sixth game, he put me on Nigel Lappin - one of the hardest workers I've ever, ever come up against.
"That's really where I wanted to step my game up to and hopefully I can emulate a little bit of what he did in his career."
Stanton said on Wednesday he wondered at times over the last four years what would happen to his career as he and 33 other Essendon players stood at the heart of the club's supplements crisis.
But he is relishing the clear air of this season.
Stanton and five other Bombers returned from their bans to play in Saturday's stirring win over Hawthorn.
"There were always doubts, especially over the last four years ... the footy club has done a fantastic job to integrate us the way they have," he said.
Like everyone else, Stanton remains unsure what physical effects the season off will continue to have.
But he is confident the crash-and-bash of the AFL will not wear him down.
"Coming into round one, we knew we were ready to go," he said.
"There's always going to be a shock to the system, but we were comfortable with it."
