VETERAN Hawthorn ruckman David Hale admits his body is "pretty banged up" but will wait a few days before making a definitive call on his future.  

The 31-year-old triple premiership player was subbed out for the fourth time this finals campaign when he was handed the red vest in the third quarter on Saturday – potentially the last player ever to be subbed out from a match, with the rule to be abandoned next season.

After 237 AFL games, the former Kangaroo said he would let the dust settle on the Hawks' third flag in as many years before making a decision.

"I'll sit down with the club and family in the next few days and decide what happens next," Hale told Channel Seven on Sunday morning.

"We'll give it a couple of days, I think."

Hale indicated he was struggling physically at the moment after 13 seasons but wasn't prepared to reveal any plans.

He acknowledged the remarkable position the Hawks were in after a hat-trick of premierships and that he couldn't have a better opportunity to bow out on a high.

"[The body] is pretty banged up now," he said.

"I can't get much better [than three flags] … but I'll let it soak in for a couple of days."

Meanwhile, Hale said there was no reason why 33-year-old key defender Brian Lake couldn't play on next year.

The three-time premiership backman and 2013 Norm Smith medallist has declared he wants to keep going but his future remains uncertain.

Hale said he wasn't sure if Lake would be at Hawthorn next season but believed he was physically capable of fulfilling another contract.  

"He's still playing good footy, his body seems to be in good nick so he's probably still the best one-on-one defender for the big gorillas," he said.

"I don't see any reason he shouldn't be [playing on].

"I was on the bench yesterday at the end and he loves taking his grabs and I think 'Clarko' was going a bit crazy in the box.

"I don't think he likes to punch the ball, he likes marking everything, so Clarko gets a bit frustrated but that's just the way Brian is, you get the good with the bad."

There's no doubt Luke Hodge will be around next season with the four-time premiership Hawk contracted until the end of 2016.

But there has been some talk about if it's time for the 31-year-old to hand over the captaincy after five seasons in the role.

Hale believed Hodge should stay on as skipper for another year.

"I think the way he leads on the ground is second to none," he said.

"Everyone talks about this hardness at the ball but his ability to set us up behind the ball and get guys into position is phenomenal.

"There's a few candidates, [Jordan] Lewis and [Jarryd] Roughead and Liam Shiels is probably one of the younger guys who can come through and take that role in the future.

"But while Hodgey is there, I don't see why he'd need to step down."