On the eve of his record-breaking 319^th game, Simon Black has earned praise from fellow Club greats – and 300-gamers – Kevin Murray and Alastair Lynch.

Black will surpass former premiership teammate Marcus Ashcroft as the Brisbane games record-holder this Saturday when he lines up against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium.

He already holds the games record for most matches with the merged Brisbane Lions since 1997.

The triple Club Champion will also move into outright second position on the Club’s all-time games list behind Lions Legend Murray, who played 333 senior matches with Fitzroy.

Murray, Black, Ashcroft and Lynch are the only four players in the Lions’ combined 127-year history to have reached the 300-game milestone.

Murray, who was inducted as one of only two inaugural Legends at the Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame event last year, has no doubt that Black will be forever recognised among the Club’s ‘all-time greats’.

“He is definitely one of the all-time greats,” Murray told lions.com.au.

“In my 20 years with the Club, the best footballer I ever saw at Fitzroy was Garry Wilson. You obviously can’t compare past players to players from the current day, but Blacky would be right up there.”

Fitzroy’s 1969 Brownlow Medallist said it was a testament to Black’s supreme work ethic that he’s been able to feature in so many senior AFL games.

“(To play 300-plus games) you naturally have to train very hard so that you’re physically fit enough to withstand the pressures of playing at the highest level. Bodies can so easily break down, so preparation is very important,” Murray said.

“You really need to prepare yourself with miles and miles in your legs – a bit like the way Bart Cummings trains his horses.

“And it definitely does pay off. I was very lucky because I worked as a scaffolder, so I was fit and hard because of work.”

Lynch also lauded Black’s work ethic as one of the traits that has helped separate him from the rest.

“It’s an amazing achievement to play at the level he has for that length of time,” Lynch told lions.com.au.

“He’s one of the most decorated players the game has ever seen, and one of the more humble guys as well.

“He worked as hard, if not harder, than everyone else, and was never satisfied with his performances.”

When Black breaks the Brisbane games record on Saturday, only Kevin Murray will stand in his way of becoming the Club’s all-time games record holder.

He remains 15 games short and would need to play on for a 17^th season to reach Murray’s mark, which has lasted almost 50 years.

But the Fitzroy Legend said he would be thrilled to hand over that mantle to a player of Black’s esteem.

“Records are made to be broken, and I wouldn’t be worried at all if he were to break mine,” Murray said.

“He’s an institution around the Club. Even the other night against Collingwood, he showed that he’s still a very important player for the team.

“I don’t know (whether he’ll play another season). It will depend on how he’s feeling at the end of the year.

“If he hadn’t been injured earlier this season, he might have passed me this year.”