Stanton looked certain to put his team back in front when a Michael Hurley pass landed a couple of metres from him, but the Sherrin veered off at a right-angle and evaded him.
"It sort of came back behind me and I wasn't expecting it I suppose, because normally it just bounces straight on," he said after the match.
"But the bounce of the ball goes every way. It's an oval ball, so you can't really predict where it's going to bounce.
"That's just the game of football and unfortunately it did bounce the wrong way.
"We had our chances to win the game and unfortunately we couldn't get over the line.
"It's disappointing, but I don't think the bubble has popped or anything like that.
"We were right in the game again today and that's what the coaches were happy with."
Essendon twice opened up big leads in what was a tough, rugged and gripping affair.
The Bombers held a 28-point advantage during the second quarter, then, after the Swans fought back, they opened a 23-point break in the third term.
"It's hard to take," Stanton said. "We started a bit slowly and then worked our way back into the game and got a pretty good lead there.
"Unfortunately the Swans fought their way back. It was a bit of a toss and turn of a game and they came out on top in the end.
"It's unfortunate but we'll reassess. We've got a big game next week against St Kilda."
Essendon was overpowered in the stoppages during the second half, which Stanton admits was a big reason why his team was beaten.
"Just the pressure around the footy, I think, is something we'll focus on during the week," he said.
"We're looking to improve each week and I think we've seen improvement again today, it's just that we've got to back it up for the whole four quarters."
While they have a great recent record against the Saints, the Bombers are keeping their expectations in check ahead of next Sunday's twilight clash.
"St Kilda are a great side, so our pressure and the defensive side of our game are going to have to be right up there," Stanton said.
