Stanton was one of 34 past and present Bombers who were banned from AFL football last year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The midfielder said the first six weeks following the verdict was the toughest time of the four-year supplement saga.

"You just felt so mentally drained that you didn't want to do anything, you didn't want to go anywhere, and you'd probably find maybe a few guys travelled straight away but they sort of had to get over that initial lag effect to be able to move on with their life," Stanton told SEN radio on Thursday.

"I don't think there's any challenge or anything tougher that I'm going to face in my life career-wise. Yes, maybe personal life, but this is also going to hold you in good stead for plenty of experience throughout the rest of your life experience."

Stanton said that most of the 11 banned players who are returning to Essendon this year learnt a lot about themselves during the past 12 months.

"There's not too many opportunities in your career when you can step away from something that you love and reflect on what you've done over the past how many years you've been involved in the game and come back and play again," he said.

"I think that's enlightened a lot of the players on how to get the best out of themselves for however long the rest of their career is."

He also revealed he actually received a lot of support when out in public rather than have abuse hurled his way for his involvement in the scandal which erupted in early 2013.

But the 30-year-old will understand if he and his teammates cop abuse from the other side of the fence during games this season.

"So be it, I think we've created tough enough skin to move on with it and be happy with where we're at," Stanton said.

The 248-gamer said it felt like a new club when he walked back through the doors at Tullamarine last October for the first time since being suspended.

"It was still the same processes of achievements that we want to achieve in the future but it was just a different way of going about it," he said.

"It was fresh, it was open discussion, we're becoming a self-driven football club and the coaches will direct you in a certain direction and it's up to you where you want to take your career from there so it's been refreshing."

Despite being out of the game for so long, Stanton didn't envisage any increased potential for injury for the 11 returning Bombers as they have all been on such specific training programs.

He insisted they're all up to scratch in body combat and that the fitness staff were very happy with the physical condition each player returned to the club in.

Stanton said the highest-profile member of the suspended group, Jobe Watson, was now back to being the person that everyone knows so well a month or so after returning his 2012 Brownlow Medal to the AFL.

"Jobe's going really well," he said.

"He's very energetic, he's leading by example, I don't think you can ask for too much more.

"He's in the best peak fitness I've ever seen him in ... he's training the lights out. His contested ball and his quick hands is unbelievable with the match practice that we've been doing so far.

"I'm really excited to see him back out there again and at his full potential."