Under-fire Hawthorn skipper Ben Stratton is yet to address his teammates about his dirty tactics in their AFL loss to Essendon, but Isaac Smith says he has the playing group’s full support.

Stratton will front the AFL tribunal for multiple offences, most notably repeatedly pinching the Bombers’ Orazio Fantasia during Friday night’s match.

The first-year captain has also been charged after allegedly stomping on Shaun McKernan and fined for making an obscene gesture.

Smith says with the Hawks players given the weekend off he hasn’t seen Stratton but his teammates back the tough approach the three-time premiership defender brings to every game.

“We love ‘Stratto’ and we love the way he plays on the edge, and sometime when you play on the edge you make mistakes,” Smith said on Monday.

“He’s come out and said that’s not the way we want to go about it and as a club that’s not the way we want to go about it either, but we also want our players to play on the edge and be ruthless when they’re out there.”

Smith said he “wasn’t sure” if pinching was a regular feature of Stratton’s game or used widely throughout the league, however, felt players regularly tried to unsettle their opponents.

“I’ve been tagged in a few games I’ve played and I know just by watching that there are different tactics out there,” he said, although he didn’t want to provide any examples.

Smith said while Stratton had to face the tribunal, the Hawks wanted to move on as quickly as possible.

They take on Sydney at the SCG on Friday night.

“I think enough’s been said; he’s got the tribunal and they will deal with it there and we’re focused on Sydney now … it’s time to move on,” Smith said.