He grew up in the town and has played all his junior and senior football with the Crows in the Central Highlands Football League.

Day brings up 300 games as a senior player for Beaufort against Skipton at Beaufort on Saturday - an achievement the 38-year-old has had to wait much longer to reach than he expected.

"I definitely wasn't planning to be still playing at this age."

Now that Day has reached this moment in his playing career though there is no question that he is feeling a special satisfaction.

Day was on the cusp of reaching the mark at the end of 2019.

However, there was no football in 2020 with COVID-19 and then he managed just four appearances in last year's shortened season.

If that was not enough.

A calf injury delayed his start to this season until round nine, when he injured an ankle.

Saturday's home game will be his first outing since.

Day graduated from junior ranks two decades ago after being fortunate to play in under-14 and under-17 premierships.

He says all but 12 of his open-age matches have been in the seniors, with those reserves games chalked up when as a teenager he was backing up from juniors to help out with numbers.

Day was fortunate to step straight into a strong senior side - playing in a grand final in 2002.

While Beaufort lost to Buninyong, a then young Day would never have imagined he would have to wait 16 years before being a premiership player.

Being as difficult as it was to get there, Day now appreciates how lucky he has been to play in a premiership at all - especially after losing the 2017 grand final.

Day has no hesitation in declaring that feat as the highlight of his playing career, although he also rates highly the distinction of having captained the CHFL representative side.

Day said although these days meeting the physical demands of playing was not easy as it had been, his passion for the club, teammates and people around the club continued to be the driving forces that kept him going.

"My mates. That's what keeps me playing, especially through the years we struggled."

Day said it would have been easy to retire after the 2018 flag, but a desire to help the next generation also kept him going.

"We've started to build and hopefully it won't be too much longer before we're playing finals again."

Day has been a leader in various roles, having been captain and also spent time on the club committee.

Having given so much, that will make this milestone for Day all the more special for the whole Crows community and his still Beaufort-based family.