Hawthorn defender Ben Stratton likes the swagger of being the preliminary final specialist

BEN Stratton wouldn’t be so bold to brag about anything, yet he likes the swagger of being known as the preliminary final specialist.

Hawthorn defender Ben Stratton likes his preliminary final specialist tag. Picture: Colle

BEN Stratton wouldn’t be so bold to brag about anything, yet he likes the swagger of being casually known as the preliminary final specialist.

Twice in the past two years the unassuming man from Western Australia’s south has left his mark on Hawthorn’s preliminary final wins over Adelaide and Geelong.

Against the Crows, it was the game-saving tackle on Patrick Dangerfield.

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Against the bogeyman Cats last year, it was a towering mark with two and minutes to play.

Geelong’s Mitch Duncan kicked out from full-back, with the Cats down by four points. Travis Varcoe and Sam Mitchell flew, Jimmy Bartel thought about it and stopped, and Stratton came from the clouds.

“I don’t mind the old preliminary finals,’’ he laughed.

And the bigger moment?

“Probably the mark in the Geelong one because we went on to win (the flag), I remember that one more than the Dangerfield one.

“I’d had an ordinary three quarters,’’ he said. ‘’I had a bit of everyone, a bit of Stevie J, bit of Mitch Duncan for a while, a few of their mids that role through there, so I thought I better do something.

“I wasn’t impacting the game. I don’t judge my game on stats, but I wasn’t in the game. I might’ve been a bit fumbly, allowed a few it ups, and I was happy to have a contribution at the end.’’

Hawk Ben Stratton celebrates the flag with Josh Gibson and Brian Lake. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

That’s what Stratton does, he makes contributions. Mostly they are without fanfare, but not at the Hawks.

In the premiership year, he finished fourth in the best and fairest.

“I had a pretty consistent season,’’ he said. ‘’I was a little surprised to finish fourth, I didn’t have any standout games I suppose, but just tried to play my role every week. So, to come fourth was very pleasing because there’s some good players at the Hawks.

“It went Gibbo, Roughy, Mitchell ...’’

And Stratton. How does that sound?

“It sounds pretty good to me, to be mentioned in the same conversation as thee three guys. They are stars.’’

Which means, of course, he bettered Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgonye, Grant Birchall, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston.

“I don’t know about beating them, they all played their part through the season as well.’’

Stratton, who will be 25 on March 1, is not your average AFL footballer.

He joked that he only got recognised when he was out with the high-profile names, such as Roughead, but added he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s great,’’ he said. ‘’You just go about your business, go to breakfast, go to lunch, don’t get hassled too much ... I’m not fussed at all.’’

His interests include surfing, which is common, and art, which is uncommon.

Stratton hunts down Geelong captain Joel Selwood. Picture: Michael Klein

Yesterday, with some spare time available after clinics in Hobart, Stratton visited the Moma art gallery with a female club official.

“Mum’s an artist and I’ve been to a few art galleries with her before, so it’s not too bad,’’ he said.

“It’s a bit of past time. I don’t mind art, but probably more music than art. But I heard it was pretty good so I thought I’d pop in and check it out.’’

Club staffers love him. They say he’s never a distraction and whatever is thrust upon him, on and off the field, he does not get overawed.

“You can’t get too excited by things and you can’t get too down about things, I try to stay at a steady level,’’ he said. ‘’I just see it as doing my job.’’

He stressed that the downtime had to be enjoyed and that mostly always involves a surf board.

First of all in the off-season, he took a group of teammates home to Yallingup, near Margaret River, for a week, and then it was to Bali with more teammates, then Mexico with non-footy mates, to Los Angeles and finished back home in WA.

Now it’s footy full-on.

He hasn’t played in the NAB Challenge, for no other reason than the club planned it. He’ll play for Box Hill this weekend and against Melbourne the following week, before he plays Round 1.

If does play Round 1, it will be his 53rd consecutive game, which not only makes him preliminary final specialist, but also a reliable one.