With the 2014 season now complete, hawthornfc.com.au will review the season of those who played a senior game for the Hawks in 2014 with the help of GM - Football Operations, Chris Fagan.
 

Ben Stratton had an interesting year in 2014 and like a couple of his teammates, didn’t see his best football until late in the year.

Since seriously injuring his knee in 2011, Stratton by his own admission has had a good run with injuries – playing 50 consecutive matches - but that run came to a halt early in 2014.

The reliable defender played only four of the first 13 games for the season after struggling with hamstring and adductor injuries.

Those four games came in blocks of two, so he struggled to generate any continuity in his game, something that is critical in the modern game.

But finally he achieved that continuity in Round 15, when he returned against Gold Coast before playing the next eight games in a row.

From Round 15 onwards, Stratton missed just one more game for the season – in Round 23 – and became a vital piece in Hawthorn’s back-to-back premiership puzzle.

Once his body allowed, the winner of last year’s Most Consistent award showed why he’s one of Hawthorn’s most important defenders, with the ability to play on both talls and smalls.

While he took a little while to re-adjust to the pace of senior footy, by Round 17 he found his groove and by Round 18 he claimed his biggest scalp in Sydney’s Sam Reid.

Stratton held Reid goalless in the win over the Swans and, indicative of his fourth-place finish in last year’s Peter Crimmins Medal, Stratton had seven one-percenters, five tackles and five marks – operating at 91 per cent disposal efficiency.

Then, he kept Western Bulldogs star forward Stewart Crameri to just nine disposals and a goal in the win over the Bulldogs in Round 19.

Well and truly back to his best, he was then also influential in the come-from-behind victory over Geelong with 19 disposals, nine marks and five one percenters, the second-most of any Hawk.

At the time, Stratton said getting back to his best form was all about re-gaining confidence in his body.

“It’s been nice to play some games in a row to get my consistency up,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“When you miss a few games it’s hard to come straight back in and play to what you’re used to or how I did last year.

“My fitness was always up there, it was just more about getting that confidence back.”

The West Australian timed his run perfectly, running into form at the right time of the year where he was then again a vital member of Hawthorn’s premiership team.

As a selfless player who does whatever he can to help his teammates, Stratton is exactly the type of player coaches love to have on their side when heading into high-pressure games.

Stratton was ranked third overall at the Club for one percenters, which is indicative of the way he plays his footy.

He delivered in the finals series and particularly in the Preliminary Final when he blanketed Port Adelaide star Chad Wingard.

It was the performance of the year for Stratton, who rendered Wingard ineffective in the nail-biting win.

With the addition of full back James Frawley, Stratton could be one player who benefits from that in being released to fill a more attacking role off half-back.

There could be a challenge there for him over the pre-season to get involved more in counterattacks and working closely with the likes of Matthew Suckling, Grant Birchall and Shaun Burgoyne to increase his 2014 disposal average of 13.1.

What GM – Football Operations Chris Fagan said: “Ben is probably one of the unsung heroes of our footy club and he’s been a really good player for a number of years now.

“He’s so versatile – he can play on different size forwards and he managed to do that again this year.

“He played a really good game in the Grand Final, had a very important role in Chad Wingard in the Preliminary Final, who never really got loose at all that game until they put him behind the ball in the last five minutes.

“‘Stratts’ really shut him down and that’s something he’s able to do on a regular basis.

“His leadership is really growing as well, which is good for our future.”

Ben Stratton in the news in 2014
- Stratton’s motivation for best mate Suckling
- Stratton won’t over-think it
- Stratton hitting his straps

Videos featuring Ben Stratton in 2014
- Stratton and Cheney go one-on-one
- Stratton ready to battle Fremantle
- #everymoment: Stratton
- Pre-season circuit with Ben Stratton