After being traded from Collingwood with pick 105 at the end of 2016, you wouldn’t have expected Marley Williams to be as key a part of North’s back six as he’s been since.

But since arriving, his professionalism and reliability has been nothing short of impressive.

Williams was the leader in last year’s Syd Barker Medal until injury ended his season in Round 14, but has bounced back strongly and kick-started 2018 in the perfect fashion.

Having played a key role in North’s back six through the opening month-and-a-half of action, his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed by his fellow defenders.

Still developing into a permanent role in the back half, Ed Vickers-Willis sees Williams as a valuable source of knowledge.

“We really value him,” Vickers-Willis told North Media.

“Marley takes the best small forward every week.

“The small forwards are really hard to play on, and for us other defenders, having someone in the side who relishes that challenge each week is such an underrated thing, as it would be for any side.”

The one they call ‘Bobby’, in reference to Bob Marley, has found himself assigned the task of minimising the impact of the likes of Jeff Garlett, Chad Wingard and more of the competition's most exciting small forwards already this season.

Often either holding his own or beating his opponent in the contest, Williams’ 181 centimetre frame isn’t to be underestimated, with his strength often giving him the edge over the opposition.

“He doesn’t lose one-on-ones at all,” Vickers-Willis said.

“I think his run and ability to break the lines with the ball is really underrated.

“You’ll see Marley work in tight, and if he does get in trouble, he can spin out and kick it a mile on his left boot.

“He does have a few tricks, and he doesn’t mind a goal.”

A relatively low-key player on the field, Williams enjoys flying under the radar off the field too.

However, at just 24, he’s willing to engage in banter with his teammates as much as anyone.

“He’s pretty quiet at times, but also he doesn’t mind a little jab at people here and there,” Vickers-Willis added.

“He’s very cheeky, we love having him down there, and he really livens things up.”