Brent Harvey believes he will be the last person to play 400 AFL games, saying the demands of the sport are now too great for anyone else to reach the milestone.

Harvey will become just the fourth player in League history to play 400 games when he runs out against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

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When he does, he will equal the tally of Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher, who has been sidelined with a groin injury since playing his 400th game in round nine against Richmond.

Only Hawthorn great Michael Tuck (426 games) and Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett (403) will sit above him on the AFL's all-time games list.

Only three other active players have surpassed 300 matches – Adam Goodes (364 games, 35-years-old), Matthew Pavlich (328, 33) and Corey Enright (302, 33) – but all seem certain to retire before they reach 400.

And Harvey told AFL.com.au that anyone starting out in the AFL now would be worn out by the ever-increasing demands of training, injury prevention and team meetings well before they joined him in the 400 club.

"I think 400 is a milestone that won't happen again. I honestly believe that I'll be the last player to do that," Harvey said.

"[I don't mean] to sound big-headed or anything like that, but the game has changed so much and certainly if I had started 10 years ago I wouldn't be playing 400 games, there's no way known.

"When I first started it was three days a week training. You could certainly come in and do a little bit extra if needed, but there were three days a week of training, two weight sessions and that was pretty much it.

"Now we're at the football club from 8am to 3pm every day expect for one day during that week. Not only physically but mentally, it grinds you down a little bit.

"Things have just got bigger, harder and longer. So for that reason I don't think anyone will reach the 400 milestone again."

Harvey admits he has thought "really, really briefly" about the possibility of breaking Tuck's games record if he plays on for a 21st season next year.

The 37-year-old is keen to play on provided his health and form hold up, but acknowledges coach Brad Scott and his team must do what they think is in the best interests of the club.

Harvey says breaking Tuck's record would be nice so he could one day tell his grandchildren he had played the most games ever in the AFL.

But, like the 400-game milestone, he says it would not compare to his favourite achievement in football – the 1999 premiership.

"To play 400 games and possibly to break the record would certainly be good things when my career finishes," Harvey says.

"I'll be able to look back with my kids and their kids and add 10 per cent to my career and tell them how good I was.

"But we ultimately play the game for team success, so the 1999 premiership will always be the ultimate for me."

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