VETERAN Shane Crawford has one dream that will see his career fulfilled – winning a premiership with his beloved Hawks.

Crawford will play his 300th game on Saturday when his side takes on the Brisbane Lions at Aurora Stadium, 15 years after making his debut.

"As a young kid I dreamt of playing AFL football and my dream has come true," he said.

"So I’ve just got one more dream that I need to fulfil before I move on."

He'll treasure running out onto the field alongside his son Charlie this weekend, however, the Hawks' dramatic elimination final victory over Adelaide last year does take the cake as his favourite game for the club.

That was "when Buddy put on a show", referring to forward Lance Franklin – the most exciting player he's lined up alongside.

"I don’t want to say Buddy because Clarko will probably want to punch on with me," he laughed, with coach Alastair Clarkson sitting beside him.

"But he’s definitely the most exciting player I’ve ever played with. Even when he trains he excites you with some of the things he can do."

The 33-year-old couldn't confirm whether he will continue in 2009, or if a premiership medal would encourage his decision, simply because he hadn't decided.

Knee tendonitis has hampered and frustrated Crawford for most of the year, limiting him to just eight games.

Even so, he doesn't believe the condition of the joint will force his retirement.

"At the start of pre-season this year, I felt as good as I have for quite some time," he said.

"Probably too good, which is why it probably stirred up my knee a bit because I probably pushed it a little bit too much.

"So you know, that’s something that I can’t really answer until the season's over and work through it with the coaches and (partner) Olivia and the family as well.

"Structurally my knee is very good," he added. "It’s just at a stage where it’s very inflamed and it just needs to be carefully managed."

Clarkson commended the Brownlow Medallist for his immense contribution to the club, labelling him a pioneer of the modern game.

"It’s been a challenging and rewarding journey for Crawf thus far and we’re hoping that he’s going to play a fair amount of footy for us this year, and also in the years ahead if his body enables him to do that," he said.

"He and Robert Harvey have been pioneers in my view. The last 20 years the game has changed enormously. A lot of the athleticism and the professional standards that have been brought to AFL football have probably been due to those two guys.

"They’ve set a benchmark for midfielders in the competition that has been unsurpassed and that’s why he’s been such a popular figure at our football club."

Crawford said he felt blessed to still be a part of the Hawks in a period where they could challenge for major honours.

"My whole aim throughout my career is to be an extremely hard working consistent player and I think I’ve achieved that," he said.

"I’m still lucky to be part of a great club, a club that’s been through a lot of tough times over the last 10 or 15 years.

"Now we’re starting to really get back on track and hopefully be in a position to give ourselves every chance in September.

"So I consider myself extremely lucky."

Crawford has won his club's best and fairest award on four occasions, earned All-Australian honours four times and captained Hawthorn from 1999 to 2004.

The AFL Players' Association considered him the competition's most valuable player in 1999, the year he won the Brownlow Medal.