If the player ISNT in the center of the screen, here's another way of doing it.
create 4 events
mouseAbsolute.X > player. X
AND
mouseAbsolute Y > player.Y
-> set animation player to "north"
MouseAbsoute.X < player.Y
AND
mouseAbsolute.Y < player.Y
set animation player to "south"
etc etc
Make a event check all 4 locations based on the players postion, top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right.
then change the animation based on that.
only 1 will be true at any given time.