Lachlan Sharp will add the latest milestone to his glittering BFNL career when the Storm hosts South Bendigo on Saturday.

With Sharp on his way to a BFNL Hall of Fame career, ADAM BOURKE spoke with two people who've watched the classy left-footer's career at close range.

On the field, Jayden Donaldson is a premiership team-mate of Sharp.

Off the field, the duo are great mates.

What are your first recollections of Sharpy?

"Our parents knew each other through harness racing, so I knew of Sharpy as a young fella and he was this little smart-arse kid getting around the stables now and then, but we didn't a have a friendship as such.

"I didn't know him that well then, but when I came back from Melbourne playing footy to play with Strathfieldsaye in the club's third year we instantly formed a friendship and have been best mates since."

Did he always strike you as someone that could achieve the things he's done in the BFNL?

"To be honest, I actually did. Playing at a higher level with the Pioneers and in Melbourne, I watched a lot of great players, and then coming back and watching Sharpy play as a 20-year-old you could see he had some unique abilities that I hadn't seen before.

"You could see he was a special player. Even in teams that weren't very good he always found a way to kick goals.

"It was just going to be a case of whether he'd get a good run at it injury wise.

"In 2016 he did a huge pre-season and we thought he was going to set the competition alight, but he went down with a knee injury in round two or three. We started to wonder if we were going to see the best of him.

"To see him come back and do what we he did in 2017 and since then is quite amazing and it's been a pleasure to watch."

Related: Sharp's history-making medal win

Sharpy comes across as a very confident character and a wonderful team-mate.

"His confidence in his own ability and those around him is second-to-none.

"He almost puts that out there in such a positive manner that it becomes motivation for him. He's that positive, arrogant and confident that he has no other option but to live up to it.

"Something he doesn't get credit for is that he's such a competitive beast. Whether it's on the training track challenging team-mates or on the field, where he gives a lot but also cops more than his fair share as well, he's as competitive a footballer and person that I've ever met."

Does that competitive streak also relate to what Sharpy does outside of footy?

"I don't think so. He's a very caring friend and he has an infectious personality.

"Talk to a lot of the other inter-league boys and they say 'geez, I wanted to hate him, but he's such a good bloke.

"His love for Strathfieldsaye and the footy club is second-to-none and that's what drives his comeptitive nature."

Related: Sharp's season to remember

Golden Square's Clayton Anderson was the premier small defender in the BFNL for the best part of a decade.

In the second half of his career he had many enthralling battles with Sharp.

What makes Sharpy so hard to play on?

"Sharpy is quick off the mark, he can get you on the lead, but also on the ground.

"A lot of players I played on were good at one or the other, but not both. You could cheat a little bit against those guys.

"With Sharpy there was none of that. You had to be on your game because he was so good on the lead, but he could also crumb the ball as well as anyone.

"He didn't miss too many shots, either."

You and Sharpy both play with confidence, I'd imagine there was a fair bit of lip between the two of you?

"Off the ground we got along okay, but on the ground we didn't get on well.

"We had a few scraps. He liked to celebrate every goal he kicked and that didn't sit too well with me.

"In the last couple of years that I played we got on fine, but in the height of the Golden Square and Strathfieldsaye rivalry you wouldn't say we were great mates."

Was Sharpy your toughest opponent in Bendigo footy?

"I always said that Sharpy and (Gisborne's) Darren Farrugia were the best players I played on.

"I probably played on Sharpy about 15 times - he was my biggest rival. I did well on him early on, but he got the points later on.

"He kicked five goals on me in my last game (for Square) - that still haunts me."

Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.