When the North Melbourne Football Club selected Brent Harvey with pick 47 in the 1995 National Draft, I doubt anyone could have envisaged the profound impact the 172cm pocket dynamo from Preston would have on the AFL, let alone his contribution the home of Shinboner Spirit.

Growing up following North Melbourne in the mid to late-nineties was nothing short of football utopia.

If it wasn’t Carey who got you, it was Arch, and if it wasn’t Arch it’d be Stevo, and if it wasn’t Stevo it would almost certainly be Corey, Shagga, Boomer or Simmo.

It was a team littered with superstars and future ‘Hall of Famers’ – I’m sure there were more than a few North supporters back in the day who had to pinch themselves at how lucky there were to be supporting the club throughout such an incredible era.

Following the turn of the millennium, supporting North Melbourne became a little more real.

No longer were we handed the Friday night fixture at the MCG week in and week out, and no longer did we just win, week in and week out.

Supporting North has never been anything but a pleasure, but having such a period as the club did in the late 1990’s has almost proved to be somewhat of a curse.

Preliminary Finals and Premierships became an expectation, but unfortunately that’s not the reality of modern day AFL football.

I’ve never known the North Melbourne Football Club without Brent Harvey.

He was drafted the same year I made the best decision of my life – to support the Kangaroos.

Admittedly I was only 4 years old at the time and made the choice off the back of my dad taking up a job at the club, but I don't regret it.

Boomer to me is more than my favourite player. He represents a link to an era by where the Roos were the kings of the jungle.

Nobody could lay a glove on them – and when they tried, a quick one-two on the chin put them back in their place.

There’s no point ranking him against other North Melbourne players. Different players, from different eras.

In saying that; I struggle to think of anyone who has been so consistently brilliant for so long and copping a tag at 37 years of age is incredible.

Whether it be his cheeky grin after having four bounces on the wing and kicking the sealer, or his famous ‘one-two’ in the corridor before he hits his great mate Drew Petrie lace out leading from the square – it has all been simply wonderful.

You know the saying; you should never meet your heroes because they’ll never live up to your expectations?

Boomer is the exception to that rule for me.

I’ve been lucky enough to know Boomer for a little while, and although I wouldn’t say we have a close relationship, the fact that he knows my name is a genuine thrill.

There are countless moments that I’ve watched time and time again on YouTube and will forever make me smile or help me kill a quiet half hour on a rainy afternoon, but there is one in particular that stands above the pack.

It was 2010 and we were belting the Crows at Etihad Stadium; Boomer at 32, took the ball on the half forward flank, sped away from the then 20 year old Matthew Jaensch, had a bounce and finished from about 35 out on the run.

As the ball sailed through the big sticks, “don’t you wanna be me!?” yelled commentator Dwayne Russell in reference to Boomer’s breathtaking ability that the majority of us mere mortals could only dream of having.

It still gives me goose bumps. It still makes me smile.

While this week has been all about the number 400 and occasionally 426, for the Boomer I know, and all North supporters love, it’s all about the numbers 4 and 8.

There’s four points on the line and a spot in the eight up for grabs. That’s what’s driving the little champion.

He isn’t hanging around to count his games; he’s here to make his games count.

So if Boomer won’t talk about himself, then I guess the rest of us will have to.

From all North supporters; thank you Boomer – we are forever indebted for what you have done for this football club.

Whatever the future holds, you will be an immortal representation of what the Shinboner Spirit means.

You’ve been REAL, you’ve been BOLD, you’ve given us a sense of BELONGING and you’re absolutely NEVER BEATEN.

And for that, we bloody love you.

Congratulations.

#Boomer400