There is one thing missing from Todd Blanchfield's impressive resume as he gets set to play his 400th NBL game when the Illawarra Hawks battle the New Zealand Breakers in Wollongong on Monday night.
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A play-in win for the Hawks at the WIN Entertainment Centre will see Justin Tatum's side progress to a three-game semi-final showdown against Melbourne United.
For Blanchfield it will mean he is one step closer to breaking through for his first ever NBL championship.
During his stints with the Hawks, Townsville Crocodiles, Sydney Kings, Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats, Blanchfield has come very close to winning a championship on numerous occasions but has yet to lift the trophy.
He still remembers the hurt he felt after falling short in his three semi-final series' and just as many grand-final losses.
Now in his 15th season, the Illawarra veteran would love nothing better than to breakthrough for his first NBL title and in the process guide Illawarra to just their second championship, following their 2001 triumph.
"I've been close but I guess not close enough. Obviously I would love to get a championship by the end of my career.," Blanchfield said.
"But at the same time, if you told the 17-year-old me that I'd be playing in the NBL for 15 years and play over 400 games, I would have said you're dreaming.
"I would obviously love to win a championship, especially here at the Hawks, but again I'm also pretty proud of the fact that I've been able to do something I love for 15 years."
The 32-year-old though is keen to do everything in his power to keep the Hawks season alive.
He knows though Illawarra will need to play much better than they did in their last-start loss to Tasmania, to have any chance of downing the Breakers in Wollongong on Monday.
The winner of Monday night's stoush progresses to a three-game semi-final series against Melbourne United, while the season is over for the loser.
Blanchfield has every confidence the Hawks can bounce back from their 96-72 loss to the JackJumpers and beat the Breakers in Wollongong.
Though he conceded Tatum's team could ill-afford to be complacent against one of the hottest teams in the league and perhaps the best player in the NBL right now, Parker Jackson-Cartwright.
"The goal of every team when they start a season is to win a championship, and we are no different," Blanchfield said.
"If you told us after being two and seven at the start of the season that we'd be in this position, we would have taken it 100 per cent.
"We've earned to be in this position and have a second shot. Wednesday was not great, we played un-Hawks like basketball and did a lot wrong.
"But we've earned this right to have a second chance to come home in front of our fans and put on a show and hopefully get a win."
Blanchfield, who has averaged five points and 2.5 rebounds per game this season, said Monday's clash at the WEC was a massive game for both clubs.
It looks like it's going to be sold out. Just thinking about the game is giving me goosebumps.The WEC is an unbelievable place to play in. I know it will be rocking on Monday night.
- Todd Blanchfield
"It's obviously must-win for both clubs, there's no second chances," he said.
"New Zealand are probably playing some of the best basketball in the league right now as a group. They're on a roll and come into the game full of confidence.
"But I think we are pretty evenly matched, as shown in the games we've played against each other already this season.
"I expect an exciting game. It's the playoffs, that's why we all train so hard in the preseason. These are the games we want to be playing.
"They'll be coming here full of confidence. We've got to match their physicality.
"We know they're going to come in, they're physical, they deny the lanes, they try to push you out, they pick the ball up full court.
"They obviously have Parker Jackson-Cartwright. He's playing extremely good basketball right now. He is one of the best if not the best player in the league right now.
"Credit to him, he's the head of that snake, but they've got a lot of guys around him that are allowing him to do that, but he's definitely playing some pretty good basketball right now.
"He's obviously their focal point but they are also well coached and have some guys around him that can get going at any time.
"It's definitely going to be a tough game but I'm gonna back our group every day of the week, especially at home.
"It looks like it's going to be sold out. Just thinking about the game is giving me goosebumps.
"The WEC is an unbelievable place to play in. I know it will be rocking on Monday night."
Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
