Hawthorn defender Ben Stratton is gearing up to play his 150th game against Melbourne on Sunday afternoon at the MCG.
Selected with Pick 46 in the 2009 AFL Draft, Stratton made his debut for the Hawks against the Western Bulldogs in Round 3 of the 2010 season.
The East Perth recruit received a Rising Star nomination after a 19-disposal, 7-mark performance against the Bulldogs again in Round 14 that year before going on to claim Hawthorn’s ‘Best First Year Player’ award.
The now 29-year-old famously provided one of the highlights of his career as he laid a match-saving tackle on Patrick Dangerfield in the Hawks’ 2012 preliminary final clash against Adelaide to help secure the side a spot in the following week’s grand final.
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Stratton also went on to play a critical role in each of the Hawks’ three consecutive premierships, with the defender named the club’s Most Consistent Player in 2013 as well as Best Clubman in 2015.
After suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Round 8 clash against Brisbane last year, Stratton has made a welcomed return to the side this season, manning some of the league’s most dangerous forwards.
Both highly respected amongst his teammates and much loved by Hawks fans, the West Australian has earnt himself a reputation not only as one of the competition’s most versatile defenders on the field but as one of the club’s hardest trainers off it.
