Ben Paton Biography

Ben Paton will miss the first two months of 2024 after suffering a significant injury at training.

Scans have revealed a left pectoral tendon rupture that will require the Victorian to undergo surgery.

An ambulance is called to RSEA Park to attend to St Kilda defender Ben Paton who is feared to have suffered a broken lower-left leg during the Saints' intraclub match.

The 22-year-old was brought down in a crunching tackle by club staffer Jarryd Roughead with the ex-Hawk filling in for extra numbers due to the Saints carrying a host of injuries.

Ben Paton will miss the entire 2021 season after scans confirmed a fracture in both his fibula and tibia, sustained during a mishap at training.

"He's a great kid, he'll bounce back. It was pretty flattening for the group. With the respect and the love they've got for 'Pato' you could see the mood change. Even when we went back out, the first five minutes was pretty flat," Saints coach Brett Ratten said of Paton.

"He's in good hands with our doctors. It's just disappointing that he's done a lot of work and he won't get the reward this year."

Ben Paton has forged himself as a St Kilda mainstay just three years and 29 games into his AFL career, being assigned the regular task of stopping the competition's most dangerous small forwards.

"It's good that the players and coaches trust me to do those roles and it gives me a bit of belief," Paton said.

"You've got to manage what they (opponents) can do and get on top of their strengths, but you've got to know what strengths you're bringing as well.

"It's about not getting too worried (and thinking), 'Oh they can do this, they can do that', but believing in what you can do."

Ben Paton signs a one-year extensions with St Kilda to remain at the club until the end of 2020.

"Ben’s debut in round 21 was a clear indicator of where we think he’s at and it’s a credit to him that he maintained his spot in the senior side," St Kilda general manager of football Simon Lethlean said.

Ben Paton makes his AFL debut for St Kilda at Docklands Stadium with 9 disposals (6 kicks and 3 handballs), 2 marks and a goal in a 43-point loss to Essendon.