HE’S a player who doesn’t win much fanfare, but Hawthorn defender Ben Stratton is one of many players at the Ricoh Centre who would do anything for his teammates.

That’s the reputation the defender has made for himself, since arriving at the Club at the end of the 2009 season as a mature-aged player from West Perth.

So far in his 56 game career, Stratton has shown his willingness to sacrifice his game, the willingness to put his body on the line through relentless acts of courage and an ever-improving importance to a Hawthorn back six that for many years was perceived as its weakness.

It is the development of the 24 year old into a reliable and consistent performer that has made the Hawthorn backline transform into one of the side’s strengths with its ability to compete in the air and run and carry off half back.

Hawthorn defensive coach Luke Beveridge spends more time than anyone with the emerging defender, and marvels at Stratton’s willingness to put the team first.

“He’s outstanding, he’s such a disciplined young man and the way he goes about his football is as selfless as any player in our team,” Beveridge told hawthornfc.com.au

“He is a real quiet achiever, he goes about his business but the amount of times you see Ben Stratton not only win a one-on-one, but do something for his teammates is second to none.”

It is because of that selfless attitude that Beveridge reveals makes Stratton one of the most respected player inside the Hawthorn inner sanctum.

“He’s got an enormous amount of respect within our walls and the boys who play around him in the defence, they love to play with him because they know they can rely on him week to week,” he said.

Stratton inked a new deal last week tying him to the Club for another two seasons, an important signature for the Club to secure given his vast improvement in just his fourth season at the level.

When words such as “disciplined” and “selfless” are bandied around, it’s no surprise that the player in question features high on the Club’s leader board for one percenters.

Of course, Stratton’s name features at the top of the list, ranked third overall last season and fourth so far this season.

That’s the thing he loves most about football, doing the little things to help achieve team success.

“Down in the backline we pride ourselves on that – the smothers and those sorts of things is our number one mantra,” Stratton said last week.

“It’s the best part, helping out your teammates,” he said.

“If you’re helping them and then they help you in turn, it’s going to be better for you and for the team as well.”

That mantra, combined with Stratton’s ability to play on both talls and smalls makes him a valuable commodity in the modern day football, particularly in the changing landscape of the Hawthorn defence.

With Ryan Schoenmakers ruled out for the remainder of the season, Beveridge says Stratton’s importance to the side is amplified.

“He’s got good lateral movement, his speed is good, he’s got enormous courage in the air and we know he takes quite a lot of marks off the boot of the opposition, he’s a very good interceptor,” Beveridge said.

“His skills on both sides of his body too, are outstanding.

“He’ll have another really important role on Sunday.

“He’s like a stereotype for a medium defender who can play small or tall, so he’s a really important player for us.”