DUNSBOROUGH football star Ben Stratton broke the hearts of Fremantle fans last weekend and West Coast supporters are now in his sights.
The 26-year-old Hawthorn defender will run out onto the MCG on Saturday for his fourth consecutive AFL grand final and hopes to get his third premiership medal with a win over the Eagles.
“All finals games are really tough and I’m just as nervous and excited this year as I have been every other time,” he said.
“It is going to be a big week and it is important we try not to get too up-and-about early and juts focus on the job in hand.”
The former Augusta-Margaret River Hawk was impressive against the Dockers on Friday night as his side won their way into the last game of the season once more.
“Winning premierships is what you play football for and while it has been a tough year it would be great to get a reward for the blokes who haven’t played in a grand final before.”
- Hawthorn player Ben Stratton.
The home side took an early four goal lead but the Hawks quickly wrestled back control to post a 15.4.94 to 10.7.67 victory.
“The game against Fremantle was tough – they got the jump on us and there were lots of hits,” he said.
“The crowd was one of the loudest and most hostile we have ever heard.
“We identified before the game that the midfield has strong bodies and we needed to dry up their ability to supply to their dangerous forwards.”
Stratton admitted the Hawks were upstaged by the Eagles in the first week of the finals and said the side will examine what went wrong.
“They definitely outplayed us last time and we will have to look at a few things in training this week,” he said.
Last time the Hawks and Eagles met Stratton spent time matched up on Jack Darling and Mark LeCras.
He said this time could be similar, although the Hawks like to mix it up a bit.
Growing up, Stratton was a passionate Eagles supporter with his dad, while his mother and sister cheered for the Dockers.
“The whole family are well and truly behind Hawthorn now,” he said.
The football world has placed a lot of expectation on the Hawks to complete a three-peat and become the next AFL dynasty.
But Stratton said the side are trying not to buy into the hype.
“We are trying not to focus on that too much,” he said.
“Winning premierships is what you play football for and while it has been a tough year it would be great to get a reward for the blokes who haven’t played in a grand final before.”
After the season, Stratton said he will be heading overseas and then back to the South West to catch some waves, relax and “catch up with some crew”.
