WHEN asked about his secret to longevity at the elite level, Hawthorn champion Shane Crawford has a simple, tongue-in-cheek reply.

"Suck up to the coaches" was his jovial response on Tuesday and, with Alastair Clarkson by his side, it was quite fitting.

Crawford and Clarkson have had an interesting journey, one that forced them to forget their tussles as opponents and embrace a new relationship as mentor and player.

Now, as Crawford prepares for his 300th game, Clarkson is one of the veteran's biggest supporters and craves to see him enjoy as much success as possible in the twilight of his career.

However, there was some initial teething when it was announced in 2004 that Clarkson would take the reins at the Hawks, as memories of their on-field battles quickly came to the fore.

"I thought it was a disaster," Crawford quipped, speaking at a press conference ahead of his milestone.

"Just because I didn’t really know Clarko that well and I had played on him several times. To stop me running, he used to punch on with me so it was a love-hate relationship.

"But I think it’s like anything, you just embrace the new people that come in and you get behind them 100 percent.

"I honestly don’t think anyone could have done a better job than what he's done."

Clarkson also has vivid memories of his on-field encounters with the Brownlow Medallist.

"I had to chase him around Waverley a couple of times when it was a bigger oval than it is now," he laughed.

"I remember one day, Crawf took off from the back pocket and he got to the forward pocket and I was still around the centre, so he’s an extraordinary athlete.

"My only way of actually trying to defeat him was to try and belt him. I couldn’t catch him all that often."

Crawford, in his 16th season, admits that their relationship wasn’t founded on the best of terms, as the new coach brought a fresh direction to the club.

"When Clarko was appointed coach and he went through his plan for the football club and for the future, I knew it was going to be extremely tough for a few years," he said. "We all did.

"At the time, Clarko moved on a lot of my close mates who were a bit older and … I thought 'That’s not a great way to start a relationship'."

The 33-year-old concedes that he didn't expect to play a role in the Hawks' current chapter, and has enjoyed the opportunities provided by Clarkson and his teammates.

"I probably thought I wasn’t going to be around to be part of a side that could have success," he said. "But in saying that, we’ve still got a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead of us.

"I suppose every time I run out on the field I treat it as though it’s my last game. I have done for the last few years because you just don’t know what might happen out on the field and with injuries and so forth.

"You can’t really predict so I just consider myself extremely lucky to be still playing and hopefully contributing."

And Crawford is particularly vocal in his desire to secure a premiership before his career ends – a dream he shares with his coach.

"The one thing he’s searching for the most is to play in a premiership," Clarkson said. "That’s something that’s very dear to his heart and very dear to all our hearts, that we try as much as we possibly can to strive to win that flag as soon as possible.

"We’re on the right track and he acknowledges that and knows that it's a special place to be at the current time."