Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck says Dustin Fletcher's upcoming 400-game milestone is a testament to the veteran Bomber's love of Australia's indigenous football code.

"If you didn't really love it you wouldn't do it," Tuck said.

"When you really analyse it, with all the cold nights at training and the hard pre-seasons, Dustin's been going for 23 years, so he's done a very good job to stay focused and keep playing.

"He's had a fair bit of success and won a couple of flags, so that makes it a bit easier to keep going.

"But basically it's just about enjoying the game and enjoying being part of a team.

"The younger blokes at the club help keep you feeling a bit younger than you are too."