For Marley Williams, Arden St felt like home ever since he made the move from Collingwood at the end of 2016.

Traded to North in exchange for pick 105, many including Jamie Macmillan weren’t quite sure what to expect from the small defender, but are under no illusions now.

“I didn’t think he’d have as big an impact as he’s had only because I didn’t know the exact type of competitor he was,” Macmillan told North Media.

“He obviously had elite attributes, but we didn’t realise exactly what he could do.”

Fellow defender Scott Thompson echoed those sentiments.

“He came straight in and made an immediate impact on the team,” Thompson said.

“The club could see him earning a spot in the senior team, and they were right, because he was leading the Syd Barker Medal last season until he got injured.”

Playing his 100th AFL game this weekend, his 31st in the royal blue and white stripes, Williams has spent much of his time defending the opposition’s most dangerous small forwards, which may be one of the most unenviable tasks in the game.

Despite the difficulty of the assignments, the 25-year-old rarely has his colours lowered.

“He’s got that thankless task of playing on the opposition’s best small forward each week,” Brad Scott said.

“If you look across the competition, every side has a pretty dangerous small forward, regardless of ladder position.

“We struggled to cover that in the past and hence why we targeted Marley as a recruit.

“He’s come in and done a fantastic job.”

“He also adds so much drive and enthusiasm down there as well,” Thompson added.

“If it wasn’t for him, I’d be playing on some pretty quick forwards that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with,” Macmillan said.

“To have someone like him in the side, who we can trust to take the opposition’s best small forward each week, is extremely valuable.”

Off the field, the one they call ‘Bobby’, in reference to famous musician Bob Marley, is a favourite with his frivolity and light-heartedness.

“He’s a bit of a character, a bit cheeky at times and he keeps you on your toes, and I think that translates into his game,” Thompson said.

“He was pretty quiet early on and it was tough to get a bit out of him, but he’s fitted in really well,” Macmillan added.

“Now, I almost wouldn’t know what it would be like without Marley around here.”