Hawks Captain and triple premiership backman Ben Stratton has made the decision to retire from AFL football at the end of the 2020 season.  

Stratton will retire as a one club player having given the brown and gold his all. After 11 years, three premierships and two years of captaincy, Stratton leaves the game a well-respected and decorated warrior of the Hawthorn Football Club.  

In 2020, Stratton joined a special group becoming one of just 37 players to play 200 AFL/VFL games for the Hawks.  

Taken as a mature age recruit at Pick 46 in the 2009 National Draft, Stratton debuted in the third round of his first year at the club and kicked his first and only career goal in Round 19 that same year. In 2018 he became a life member of Hawthorn Football Club.  

Over his tenure with the Hawks, Stratton has firmly established his reputation as the man to deliver the one-percenters, plays unselfish footy and one who never shies away from a contest.  

Hawthorn Coach Alastair Clarkson praised Stratton’s unique and unforgettable contribution to the club.  

“Stratt’s brings something really special to our club," Clarkson said.

“Stratts is the sort of guy you want beside you when you go into battle. He is relentless, selfless and will never stop competing.  

“He never fails to take a teammates-first approach and it is these qualities that make him so highly valued amongst his peers and also the broader footy world.   

"While he has hung up the playing boots, Stratts remains firmly a part of the Hawthorn family.

"We thank him for his incredible contribution to the brown and gold, and wish him all the best for his next exciting chapter."

Hawthorn will farewell Stratton this Sunday, as he plays his 202nd and final AFL match against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.

Thanks for everything, Stratts!