Sydney Swans veteran Jude Bolton was set to play his 300th game a fortnight ago.

The stage was set for a blockbuster clash at the SCG against the highly-fancied Hawthorn and Bolton’s friends and family had already arranged their travel to the match.

The club, the media and Bolton’s team mates had pencilled in the date for the ever-reliable midfielder, who has missed just eight AFL games in his career, until an unlikely incident in early August put all plans on hold.

Late in the Swans’ round 19 clash with Carlton at Etihad Stadium, the 32-year-old - who was just three games from his reaching his 300th game - hyper-extended his knee and was forced out of the game.

“I know sitting on the sidelines against Carlton I thought it was all over at that stage when I thought I’d done my knee, but you still just have to wait for the scans to get those results,” Bolton told media at the SCG today.

“But I was lucky enough to dodge an ACL injury, which a lot of guys have had to go through and it’s a terrible part of footy.”

A combination of positivity, hard work and a little bit of luck allowed the Swans star to make his return in the Swans’ final round clash against Geelong.

Bolton was then exposed to the ‘crash and bash’ of a Qualifying Final in Adelaide a fortnight ago and is now on the eve of playing both his 300th game and a home Preliminary Final.

“It’s probably worked out pretty well,” Bolton said.

“To be able to play against Collingwood, the biggest club in the country, at an amazing venue like ANZ in front of our home crowd is pretty special and I certainly have a cast of thousands coming up from the family … so hopefully it’s a good one for our team.

“It’s crept up on me and it’s certainly something I’m really proud of.”

Bolton’s contribution to the Sydney Swans has not gone unnoticed by those around the club.

The midfielders attitude and ‘club-first’ approach has drawn praise from both the Swans coaching staff and his team mates alike.

Swans coach John Longmire said Bolton was much-loved around the football club.

“If you were going to think about what typifies a football club and a great clubman, you think of Jude Bolton,” Longmire said.

“He’d be the first name that would come to the front of your mind.

“The way he goes about his footy on the ground and the way he is as a positive person around the footy club is outstanding.

“He is just a wonderful servant of the footy club and it is a terrific honour for him.”

Bolton’s induction into the ‘300 Club’ sets him alongside good company, with co-captain Adam Goodes and former Swan Michael O’Loughlin having already reached the milestone.

But individual accolades aside, Friday night’s game remains Bolton’s sole focus this week.

Following the Swans’ eight-point loss to Collingwood in round 20, Bolton said there was no doubt this week’s game was going to be hard and tough.

“We’re expecting a tough, physical game and hopefully all of the people that go out to watch the game Friday night expect that and get to see that,” he said.

“We’ve seen the way Collingwood came up against West Coast; it was a brutal game and we want nothing different this Friday.

“Our guys are a little bit fresher and we really want to take them on and get stuck into it.”

Bolton remains uncontracted for next season at this point, but said he would wait until the season end to assess his plans for 2013.

“I’ve spoken to the club and we’ll probably just assess at the end of the year,” he said.

“One of the radio stations in Melbourne put a line through me and retired me a few weeks ago anyway!

“We’ll deal with that at the end of the year. Right now we’ve got more important things to deal with.”