The 36-year-old joined Hawthorn in 2009 after a 157-game career with Port Adelaide and will line up for his 372^nd career outing in UTAS Stadium's 1.45pm clash with Brisbane.

The match will see Burgoyne draw level with Sydney's Indigenous champion Adam Goodes, who retired in 2015 with two Brownlow Medals and two premierships.

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Should his illustrious career boasting four premierships span into a 20^th season, Burgoyne could work his way past Saints legend Robert Harvey (383 games) into fifth for most games played in AFL history.

"He's doing everything right," Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"There's nothing I'm observing right at the present time and our coaches to suggest he shouldn't go on next year, but Wrighty [Graham Wright] and our club in particular and our board need to be involved in all of those decisions.

"We'll make those judgements over the next few weeks but right as it sits now we'd be hopeful that he goes on.

"Our focus really is on him breaking the record - I think he equals it this week and then breaks Goodesy's record next week against the Kangas."

Brisbane have had the wood over Hawthorn in the past two seasons, winning the three most recent clashes between the two sides.

Saturday's encounter will have huge repercussions for the final eight, and will see Clarkson lock horns with two of his closest confidants from the Hawks' 2013-15 flag era - two-time Norm Smith Medallist Luke Hodge and former general manager Chris Fagan.

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The four-time premiership coach agreed Fagan and Hodge had played some part in the Lions' recent success over the Hawks, but backed his side in to win regardless.

"Both those guys have been in our organisation for the best part of a decade, if not more, so they'd know a lot about the way that we play and a lot about our players so I'm certain that's helped them," Clarkson said.

"Our challenge now is how can we overcome that little bit of a disadvantage.

"Has it been the reason why they've won? We were up five goals to zero in the first quarter against Brisbane earlier this year so whatever Hodgey and Fages told them in the first quarter about how to stop Hawthorn, it didn't work too well in the first quarter.

"I think it can be overplayed, but without a doubt you can't look at those two guys and not think that their understanding of the way that we we play and our players isn't going to help them in some manner."