Stanley's Australian representative debut was in 2006 at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Hazewinkel, Belgium. She raced in the Australian eight (to a fifth placing) and in a coxless pair with Katelyn Gray to a bronze medal.[7] In 2007 she was elevated to the Australian senior women's squad. She competed at the World Rowing Cups I and II in Europe before racing at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Munich in the coxless four to a bronze medal.[7]
In the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympics Stanley was in contention for the Australian eight. She raced in the two seat of the eight at the World Rowing Cup I in Munich but for the World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne she and Robyn Selby Smith were pushed into a coxless pair. For the 2008 Beijing Olympics Selby-Smith and Stanley were beaten out of the bow end of the eight by Pauline Frasca and Brooke Pratley.[7]
Following non-selection, she considered quitting the sport.[2] She returned to Australian representative crews in 2010 competing in the coxless pair with Sarah Tait at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne before racing to a fourth placing with Tait at the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Lake Karapiro.[7] In 2011, she finished seventh in the coxless pair at the 2011 World Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland. She missed the 2011 World Rowing Championships because of health problems.[2]
In 2012 Stanley was vying for a seat in Australia's coxless pair for the Olympics but was beaten out by Tait and Kate Hornsey.[8] Crews were selected in March and Rowing Australia initially decided not to send a women's eight to the 2012 Summer Olympics but this decision was reversed, a squad of ten was selected and soon after Stanley secured her seat at stroke in the Australian women's eight.[9] She led them to victory (and Olympic qualification) in a qualification event in Lucerne; a fifth placing at the World Rowing Cup III in Munich, Germany and fourth place at the World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland.[1] Prior to going to London, she participated in a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport European Training Centre in Varese, Italy.[10] At the London Olympics, she stroked the Australian eight to a second placed in their heat, final qualification through a repechage and then to sixth place in the Olympic final.[11][12][13]
