Despite drawing an average of less than 2000 spectators to home games in 2008-09, tickets have sold like hot cakes for the final home game of the Hawks' 31-year existence.

"We haven't had sales like this since the glory days when the Hawks won a championship and regularly made the play-offs," WEC business development and marketing manager Milton O'Brien said yesterday.

"We're on track to get around 4000 at this stage and if the weather's good, 5000 is certainly not out of the question."

The Hawks are the NBL's last original team, but financial constraints prevented the club's owners from applying for a place in the NewNBL's 2009-10 season.

They cannot make the top six and will finish their season with tomorrow night's road game against the Brendan Joyce-coached Gold Coast Blaze.

This is the third consecutive season the Hawks have failed to reach the play-offs.

While attendance has dramatically decreased over the past two years, Wollongong sports followers will rally one more time to give the district's oldest professional team a fitting farewell.

Hawks coach Eric Cooks believes his side will savour the moment and give their fans a night to remember.

"A lot of guys haven't been here a real long time like (senior players) Mat (Campbell) and Sav (Glen Saville), but they've picked up on how the community supports them and how they feel about them. There'll definitely be some emotion there and the guys will get after it," Cooks said.

"As long as it doesn't become a distraction, I think the guys will use it to our advantage. For some guys it might be the last go around and once they get into that stadium with that many people, they're going to really feel that emotion in the air."

The Hawks and the 36ers have clashed three times this season, with Wollongong winning on their home court and the Sixers taking the next two games in Adelaide.

The sixth-placed Sixers (15-14) are headed to the play-offs, but the ninth-placed Hawks (10-18) want to play a spoiler role tonight.

"They've won two out of their last three and they're playing pretty well," Cooks said.

Hawks management has organised a number of special features to mark the occasion, with the highlight being the jersey retirements of long-serving stars Glen Saville and Mat Campbell.