RETIRING two-time Hawthorn premiership player Brent Guerra has paid homage to Alastair Clarkson for turning his career around at the end of 2006.

The rugged defender leaves the game as a dual premiership player, a 255 game veteran and a much-loved players admired for his hardness and uncompromising style of football.

But his AFL journey wasn’t without its speed bumps before meetings with Clarkson turned his career around.

Guerra had just been delisted by St Kilda after joining them at the end of 2003 via a trade with his first club, Port Adelaide.

Stuck on 96 career matches and in search of a third club, Guerra knew it could have, at the time been the end of his AFL dream.

“There was a stage in my career where I was sitting on 96 games after having been delisted by St Kilda and I didn’t think I’d get to 100,” he told Melbourne radio on Thursday.

“To be able to push on and play 255 games and play in two premierships is pretty special to me.”

He met with Clarkson who was two years into his role as senior coach of Hawthorn and who had previously had dealings with Guerra at Central Districts and Port Adelaide where he was an Assistant Coach.

The Hawks coach knew Guerra well and knew too what he needed to change to revive his stalled career.

A change in attitude off field once selected by the Hawks in the pre-season draft in 2006 improved his on-field performance significantly, so much so he immediately became a key to Hawthorn’s desire for success.

Clarkson’s influence on Guerra was profound and led the Hawks defender to proclaim he “owed” Clarkson his career ahead of his 250^th AFL match late this year.

“He coached me to a premiership with Central Districts in 2001 as well so he’s been a massive part of my football career and he has given me that opportunity to play eight years at the Club,” he said.

“We had a few chats, myself and Clarko before I’d actually been drafted to Hawthorn because he had known what I’d been like at Port Adelaide and St Kilda.

“I wasn’t the most professional footballer and he told me I could change a few things and I did, so he’s definitely helped my football.”

Guerra went on to be an integral part of Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership success and again a key player in the 2013 triumph.

He leaves the game at its peak having just saluted a flag just five days ago and the lasting memory of sharing the victory with the teammates he loved and in turn was loved by remains special to him.

“Seeing the joy and relief on the boys’ faces when the siren went and getting around each other and enjoying the moment, it was something special when we heard that siren,” he said.

As for his hard at it style that was admired by everyone involved in football, we’ve got his dad to thank.

“Dad always told me when I was growing up playing footy to go hard at the man and hard at the ball and I think I used that my whole career,” he said.