It says everything about the class Robert Harvey has showed throughout his incredible 21 year AFL career that his first thoughts upon being sent into retirement with his dreams of a premiership medallion crushed turned to Hawthorn veteran Shane Crawford.

Harvey, who retires having played the most games in AFL history without winning a premiership (383), embraced his fellow Brownlow Medalist after the Saints' nine-goal preliminary final loss on Saturday night with a message of good luck.

Crawford, at 34, might be three years Harvey's junior but with 304 games behind him has - like Harvey - waited a football lifetime to win his first premiership.

While Harvey will now never get that opportunity, Crawford - the only player in the Hawks' top 17 on the club's all-time games played list without a premiership to his name - will get his chance when the Hawks take on Geelong in the Grand Final next Saturday.

In so many ways their careers have run parallel to each other with Crawford winning his Brownlow Medal in 1999 after Harvey had won the game's highest individual honour back-to-back in 1997 and 1998 and it was fitting that Crawford was the last player that Harvey spoke to on Saturday night as he walked off the MCG one last time to a standing ovation from both sets of fans and players.

"The last bloke I shook hands with was Shane Crawford, he is a bit junior to me but he is in a similar situation and I just hope for his sake he takes it out next week," Harvey said.

Harvey admitted it was not the way he wanted to go out, describing the Saints' preliminary final capitulation as 'unacceptable'.

"I never really expected in my final game that I would be looking forward to that final siren but that was the case," he said.

"We just didn't put our best foot forward but we are a better side than that."

"We have come a long way as a club and it's a great credit to the group to bounce back from we were halfway through the season (struggling to make the eight) but it was unacceptable today."

Harvey says he is confident the Saints - under coach Ross Lyon - can eventually break a premiership drought stretching back to 1966.

"I know this (loss) won't be swept under the carpet and I know there will be some hungry boys here next year," he said.

"The future is in good hands but we have got to find a few more (quality players) so the draft becomes important in the next few years."

Harvey said he could not thank the club and the Saints fans enough for everything they have done for him since his debut as a schoolboy way back in 1988.

"All this attention never sat comfortably with me but I appreciate everything the club has done for me and I have enjoyed every minute of it," he said.

"I appreciate the way the fans have treated me over the last 21 years and over the last 12 months they have just been exceptional."

Lyon said Harvey leaves the game having achieved everything, except winning a premiership but said that was certainly not his fault.

"He is only one item short (of having the perfect football resume) but that doesn't make him a lesser player," Lyon said of Harvey.

"People don't understand his mental strength and to see the relentless nature of his preparation to play each week is to understand what made Robert great."

"And that is the legacy he has left at our club and he will always remain a role model at our club."