Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton remorseful for controversial pinching incident
Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton has admitted that his pinching of Essendon forward Orazio Fantasia was not a good look for the game as he faces suspension for the act.
Stratton was remorseful on Sunday, telling the Hawthorn club website that the actions did not represent his values as a player.
"My actions last night weren’t a great look for the game and not something I want to be known for,” he said.
“I just want to be a player who plays the game as hard as possible…and as Captain I need to be better at setting an example for not only the football club but also any kids out there.”
Stratton's viewpoint was shared by Hawthorn's CEO Justin Reeves who said his captain's actions were not indicative of the values of the football club.
The Hawks released a statement saying that the club captain had let himself down with his actions AAP
“Ben is a very respected figure at our football club, but his actions on Friday night let himself and the club down, ” Reeves told the Hawks website.
“His behaviour was certainly not reflective of how Hawthorn play and as our Captain we expect more from him.
“We have spoken with Ben following the game and he is incredibly remorseful. We will work with Ben to ensure that this sort of behaviour is not repeated.
“This is not the sort of thing he or we want to be known for and he understands the need to adjust his behaviour moving forward.”
Stratton was slapped with three separate charges from the match against Essendon and will front the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night to defend himself against two of them.
Along with his visible attack on Fantasia, video also surfaced of Stratton stomping on Essendon forward Shaun McKernan's feet.
