The 24-year-old was not due to come out of contract until after the 2014 season, but has inked an extension for a further two years.
Now in his fourth AFL season, the West Australian has settled into Melbourne life and said he was happy to re-commit to the Hawks with a minimum of fuss.
"The club came to me and we sorted it out within a week," Stratton told AFL.com.au.
"I was happy to get it out of the way and just play footy; it's a bit of peace of mind."
Stratton's signature follows those of experienced midfielders Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge, who both signed one-year deals in recent weeks.
Hodge puts pen to paper
Drafted as a 20-year-old ahead of the 2010 season, Stratton quickly became a fixture of the Hawks' defence during a stellar debut year, with his aerial fearlessness a feature.
A knee injury derailed his 2011 campaign, but he bounced back last year to play every game.
With confidence in his body now restored, Stratton has set his sights on adding an attacking edge to his already strong defensive game.
"My first couple of years I was sort of a negator and would just shut down a key forward, or one of the opposition's smalls," he said.
"But now I'm trying to get a bit more offensive run in my game and add that string to my bow.
"It's helped having a good couple of summers under my belt to get my fitness up, and also having blokes like [Brent] Guerra and [Grant] Birchall to learn from."
Buddy contract talks are open: Clarkson
Making life away from home easier, Stratton's older sister Sarah-Jane has also moved to Melbourne, where she is studying honours in psychology.
Regular visits from his parents and summer holidays on the family farm in Yallingup, around three hours south of Perth, have further kept homesickness at bay.
While he still misses the surf, a yearning for the waters of the Indian Ocean won't be enough to lure the Hawk away from Waverley anytime soon.
"I'll probably have this contract and then one or two more, and that will see me through," he said.
"I'll definitely be staying at Hawthorn; I've got no plans to go home.
"I'll wait until after my footy career and then maybe go home then."
