Between them hey boast 1051 appearances - Saville 527, Campbell 524. You hardly need a crystal ball to know those numbers will never be surpassed. No crystal ball would have predicted that Tim Coenraad would get the closest.

Saville admits he would never have guessed the somewhat unheralded rookie who arrived at the Snakepit in 2009 would become a 11-year player for the club.

"I remember him rocking up to training for the first time and Cam Tragardh, who played QBL with Timmy, said 'I think Timmy's having a hard time trying to guard you out there'," Saville recalls.

"Timmy would laugh about it now but when a young kid comes in, as an older bloke, you smell a bit of blood in the water and say 'OK lets see how you go'.

"I went through the same thing, for me it was Dene Macdonald. You don't hold back, it's straight into the fire but I can tell you that as the years went on he gave back just as much as he got in the early days."

In Saville's defence he wasn't alone in his first impression. A brief flicker of interest from his hometown of Brisbane aside, the Hawks were the only club willing to take a chance on rawboned 23-year-old despite a stellar college career with Nova Southeastern University.

It didn't take long for Coenraad to change Saville's view, the start of what's been a career-long habit of defying expectations.

"He just had this great work ethic and willingness to learn," Saville said.

"That's why there's no surprises that he's still playing now. It's one thing to make the NBL, it's another to stay there and compete year in year out when teams are trying to improve and need to make [roster] decisions.

"It shows year in year out you're willing to work hard and keep improving your game. To be 11 seasons on and to say he's remained at our cub and is number three all time [in games played] is a great milestone he should celebrate."

Coenraad also can't forget the baptism of fire that came in opposing an out-and-out legend of the game every day on the Snakepit hardwood. Without it, he probably wouldn't have notched the 282 appearances he now has to his name.

"I think if I'd have had someone else above me that didn't fit the same mold as Sav I probably wouldn't have had such a long career," Coenraad said.

"He was tough as nails and the part of my game I really needed to work on was being tougher so he was perfect for me. Mat [Campbell] and Sav really showed me the ropes of being a pro.

"I had opportunities to leave earlier on but I liked the vibe of the team, I liked the community, I liked learning from Sav and Mat. If I could go back and do it all again I'd probably keep it the same to tell you the truth."

His arrival came amid the Save The Hawks campaign spearheaded by Campbell that saw the club's Lazarus like resurrection from the brink of death.

That was his introduction to the Illawarra community, one that's kept the league's only foundation club afloat since 1979. Those bonds have only become more tightly woven in the 11 years since.

It's what makes him such a vital part of Matt Flinn's roster. In what's a been a time of rapid change for the club and the league, he remains a link to its roots and DNA.

For him and wife Nelly, it's about more than just basketball. Their bonds have come through much tougher experiences, specifically their battle to start a family.

They first found joy on that journey when they fostered two girls in early 2017. That placement ended late last year but the couple are currently going through the process to bring them back to the family home that now includes eight-month-old son Tyson - their "miracle baby."

"Nell and I have obviously gone through a lot of ups and downs from failed IVF to miscarriages, to ectopic pregnancies... you name it," Coenraad said.

"It's been almost a decade going through that stuff but here at the end of it we've got this beautiful little man. For us it was our Hail Mary last attempt.

"He was pretty much our last embryo through the IVF cycle. We had multiple failed attempts and if this one hadn't happened it was going to be pretty tough to try again.

"One of the best things I've found about this community is that it celebrates your success. They put their arm around you in times of need and times when you're feeling down but when things go right they really celebrate you.

"It's really like having an extra teammate looking over you. Their response to everything that's been happening with us through our journey to having a family has been nothing short of amazing."

Juggling such wild ups and downs and the heartache it's brought at different times is tough for anyone to deal with, let alone someone navigating the intense demands of professional sport.

It might well have been enough for some to walk away, particularly when you're on the other side of 30 and have little more to prove, but the 34-year-old says that thought never crossed his mind.

"Basketball's always been a place where I can go away and immerse myself and take my minds off those things," he said.

"During the worst of times I could always rely on basketball to take my mind away for a little while. It's a place where, once I get on the court, I've been able to keep my mind on basketball.

"When I'm going through those tough times and it's a day where I am feeling down I can go and train, I can get shots up and it's like therapy. That's part of the reason I want to hold onto it for so long.

"I love what it does for me, I love what it does for this community. Fortunately enough for me it's something that can pay the bills to. It's got all the things I really cherish."

Barring injury Coenraad will pass 300 games for the club this season, but he insists he's not done yet despite being off-contract. He's also quick to point out that he's only the "fourth-oldest" player on the current roster.

"I'm not looking to be done by any stretch of the imagination," he said.

"Most people get to my age and they start getting aches and pains but I still feel as good as I did in my mid-to-late 20s. I want to push this thing as long as I can because, at the end of the day, I'm passionate about basketball.

"It'd be great if I stayed with the Illawarra because I love the area and club. I'd love to finish out my career here and finish on my own terms rather than have someone shuffle you out the door.

"I'll be the first to admit if it comes to that, if I'm not producing anymore, that's the way it is. You just have to look yourself in the mirror and say 'maybe I don't have it anymore'.

"I don't feel like that stage has come yet. Hopefully I can be honest with myself when it does but I still feel good, I still feel like I can contribute. You're probably going to have to throw me out to get me out of this thing."

Would a championship change his mind?

If he can do that he might just end up with his jumper hanging from the rafters. That's something he'd never ask for, but putting a championship flag up there alongside the likes of Saville and Campbell remains the burning ambition.

"I've been the big dance twice and unfortunately fallen short both times," he said.

"I just know what it'd mean for this community. It brings recognition, the small businesses that have been the backbone of the Hawks, certainly in those earlier years.

"That's who I want to do it for. You want to reward them with something special."