Ben McEvoy is an AFL player for the Hawthorn Football Club, and with the AFL season for 2020 just finishing, he has currently played 222 AFL games, is a 2x premiership player and a member of the Hawthorn leadership group, plus at 31 years of age, he is playing some of the best football of his career as he looks ahead to 2021. He was originally drafted to the St Kilda Football Club with pick 9 of the 2007 draft, the same year Matthew Kreuzer was taken at number 1. At just 18 years of age, he made his debut for the Saints in his first year, Rd 13 of 2008 against Fremantle and an opposition ruckman by the name of Aaron Sandilands who just happens to be the tallest player to ever play Aussie Rules standing at 211cm tall. He played 91 games at St Kilda before unexpectedly being traded to Hawthorn ahead of the 2014 season, however it turned out to be a blessing for him as Hawthorn would win the premiership in 2014 and 2015 in his first two seasons at the club, making him a 2x premiership player in the process. While Ben has same great accolades attached to his name now, it hasn't all been smooth sailing or an easy journey for him as he discusses throughout the episode. He has had to deal with some pretty extradorinaiy situations as an AFL player, patricianly during grand final week. In 2010 when at St Kilda and after playing majority of that season, including then preliminary final, he was dropped for the grand final the following week which was of course a draw, and recalled to play in the grand final replay the following week. In 2014 when at Hawthorn, he didn't play in the preliminary final, but was called into the side for the grand final and tells a great story about that situation including a call from Chris Fagan and a discussion with Alistair Clarkson as he was on his way to play in the VFL grand final. Throughout the episode, Ben is honest and open as we discuss his initial move from the country to the city to start his career, his nativity as he puts it, his training habits and mindset and how that has evolved over his career, how he attacks the off season and pre season, the grand final years, some turning points an light bulb moments, the traits of some of his great coaches and why his family and farming are pivotal to giving him balance and perspective on his AFL career. Please enjoy this genuine and thorough conversation with Ben McEvoy.