ST KILDA'S veteran champion Robert Harvey has scoffed at reports he was angry with his former coach Grant Thomas for suggesting he might be finished, saying: "A comment from a couple of commentators isn't going to change my year."

The 36-year-old dual Brownlow medallist has spoken for the first time about the question marks on his decision to play a record 21st season, which came after one NAB Cup game from Thomas and his fellow radio commentator Dermott Brereton.

"I read in the paper that I was seething about what they said but I honestly never said a word about it to anyone … not even my wife," Harvey told The Age.

"He (Thomas) is not a coach any more, he's a media commentator and it was a pretty quiet week for everyone that week.

"I'm a proud guy and I didn't think they were right. I'm also an old guy and it takes some time to get the cobwebs out. So far it hasn't been perfect but it's been OK and all the indicators are good."

Harvey said he had not heard the comments on radio SEN back in February but that he had been quickly made aware of his old coach's comments upon arriving at training the Monday after the St Kilda-Essendon pre-season game.

"I spoke to my coach about it, or he came and spoke to me," said Harvey. "He (Ross Lyon) said: 'I'm going to be straight with you, if I think there's something I want to tell you I'll tell you'.

"What will be, will be, but when it happens it will be there for all to see. At the end of the day they're commentators and they have to make comments. That's their job."

Harvey said he had never enjoyed a season more and considered the current St Kilda group not simply capable of a premiership but "multiple premierships".

"I haven't enjoyed a year more, seeing the young guys come up. I'm so grateful I'm still playing … and I'm playing every game as if it was my last. I have for the past five years."

Thomas, who coached Harvey for more than five seasons, said that, at the end of 2007, Harvey had shown signs of wear and tear and ageing, and that his awareness had faltered a little bit.

"And perhaps the start of a new season was going to rejuvenate all that," Thomas said. "We all sit here because we've loved and admired his career and all that, but he would want to improve on that performance."

Brereton described Harvey as a champion player and bloke but described Harvey's game against Essendon as "terribly, terribly sad", adding he would hate to see the 36-year-old Harvey run around like that for the rest of the year.

Harvey went on to star in the Saints pre-season flag win prompting Crows opponent Nathan van Berlo to say: "It was pretty humbling just to be playing on him.

"He's just really smart and it's a credit to him to still be playing at his age. You can't underestimate him and anyone who has said Harvey's finished hasn't had a good look at him because he played all right tonight."