HAWTHORN ruckman Max Bailey is preparing to start this season in the VFL but remains an outside chance to travel to Tasmania to play in the Hawks' final NAB Challenge match next Friday night.

The 24-year-old has missed all of the Hawks' pre-season games after the knee he had reconstructed last year swelled up following the club's intra-club match at Aurora Stadium last month.

He will play a wait-and-see approach to next weekend but only after completing another full week of training.

"I trained last week and it felt really good and pulled up well so I'll go again this week and it will be up to the fitness. If they're happy with it and I'm happy with it, we'll go from there," Bailey said at the club's annual Family Day at Glenferrie Oval.

Bailey said he would definitely play in the next few weeks and planned on building his endurance while playing for Box Hill in the first few weeks of the year.

He has endured a shocking run of luck in his career that started in the 2005 NAB AFL Draft, having required three knee reconstructions in four years.

After the intra-club, which was his first competitive game since late 2009, he developed the swelling he said he would likely need to manage throughout his career.

Despite all his setbacks, Bailey said he had taught himself to forget about his wonky knees as soon as he ran onto the field.

"It's funny; when I'm walking around here I tend to think about it and inside the club but once I'm on the ground, I don't know what it is, I just forget about it and that works well for me," he said.

"I wouldn't want to go into a game thinking about it and being worried because I think then I'd get into strife."

He will enter this season with a renewed sense of confidence having finally put together somewhat of a pre-season.

"It's been a bit different each time and this time around I'm probably in a better frame of mind because I know the last few times I've done it it's ruled the next year out," he said.

"I'm coming in with a fresh start so it's a bit different and a better feeling, but it's still frustrating."

Bailey has meanwhile decided to retire his No.1 guernsey and adopt number 39 for season 2011 as a result of the support he has received from the club's fans throughout his injury-hampered career.

The West Australian presented the jumper to hawthorn supporters on Sunday, with the club's No.1 fan concept to include things like pre-match activities, a fan zone outside the MCG and Aurora Stadium before selected home games, on-ground activities, fan of the week and exclusive merchandise offers.

A selected fan will also get the chance to experience a mid-week training and match day change room experience, while selected club members will welcome the team onto the MCG for each home game wearing Bailey's former number.

Bailey said the concept was an ideal way to include the fans more in the club.

"Hopefully they get a bit more use out of it than I did," he said.

"It's a really good thing the club's done, giving the fans something back and something pretty unique."

The Hawks' cheersquad will also adopt a large No.1 guernsey to hold over its members at match days. 

Max Bailey is a $97,600 ruckman in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.