Glenn Archer
Glenn Archer as a celebrity racer at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne
Personal information
Full name	Glenn Archer
Date of birth	24 March 1973 (1973-03-24) (age 36)
Place of birth	Victoria, Australia
Recruited from	Lyndale / Noble Park
Height/Weight	182 cm / 91 kg
Position(s)	Defender
Club information
Current club	Warrandyte
Number	11
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1992-2007	North Melbourne Warrandyte Football Club	311 (148)
1 Playing statistics to end of 2007 season .

Glenn Archer (born 24 March 1973) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne Football Club. Archer officially ended his career on 23 September 2007 in a Preliminary Final loss to Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. Glenn is remembered as one of the greatest defenders to play the game, with his tough playing style and hard at the ball attitude. Glenn was recently named the Shinboner of the Century.

[edit] Football Playing Career

300 children lined up in a Guard of Honour for Glenn Archer's 300th career game.

Debuting in 1992, Archer was an inconsistent and undersized player. Continuous work on his 182 cm frame resulted in a weight increase to 94 kilograms in 1996, and led to his becoming a more notable on-field presence. Archer was offered a lucrative 3 year contract worth $450,000 over three years from Sydney, which he turned down. The man behind the deal, Ron Joseph, is now "Arch's" manager.

He had a reputation as one of the most courageous players ever to play the game. To reflect this, the AFLPA awarded him the Robert Rose Award for Most Courageous Player six times in nine years, the most of any player in the award's history. He won the prize in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 (tied with Brett Kirk).

In 1996 he won All-Australian selection, and was named best on ground in the Kangaroos 1996 premiership team, winning the Norm Smith Medal. Although Glenn was part of the losing Grand Final squad to Adelaide in 1998, Archer tasted premiership success once more in 1999. Amongst winning other awards from his club and the AFL, Archer was voted "Shinboner of the Century" by North Melbourne in 2005, Shinboners being a nickname the North Melbourne Football Club.

[edit] 2007 season and retirement

The banner at Archer's record breaking game against Carlton

2007 was a great year for Glenn Archer, with a resurgence of his beloved North Melbourne Football Club on the field, mainly due to an influx of youth and the maturation of a number of second tier players. Personally, Archer had somewhat of a renaissance of his own performance as a player, with impressive outings on a number of occasions.

During Round 13, against the Western Bulldogs, Archer celebrated his AFL milestone 300th game with another excellent performance. At this game, 300 kids lined up to create a 'Guard of Honour' for the champion in respect for his career so far and 300th game.^[1]

On Saturday 25 August 2007 in a game against Carlton at Telstra Dome, Archer passed Wayne Schimmelbusch as the Kangaroos' games record-holder, playing his 307th in a career that began during Schimmelbusch's final year as coach in 1992. When asked about the record, Archer commented: "Schimma's a legend of our club and of the AFL, and when I walked into the club 17 years ago and saw Wayne Schimmelbusch's name up on the wall with 306 games, I never thought I'd come anywhere near that. It's certainly a bit surreal for me".^[2] Archer now holds the Games record for the North Melbourne Football Club with 311.

[edit] Post-AFL career

Archer is currently a director of Stride Sports Management.^[3]

He and former Kangaroos teammate Anthony Stevens played a match for the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club.^[4]

Before season 2008, the Archer-Hird Medal was created honouring Archer and former Essendon Football Club star James Hird. Since 2008, the medal has been awarded to the player showing the most determination, courage and skill in matched between the Kangaroos and the Bombers.^[5]

Announced on 13 November 2009 that Archer will play for Warrandyte football club seniors in the 3rd division of the Victorian Eastern Football league in season 2010.

[edit] Personal life

• Archer is currently a Director of the player management business Stride Sports alongside other sports stars as Ricky Ponting and former teammate Anthony Stevens.
• Glenn Archer bought a van for the club and not too long later, it was vandalized. There was outcry and many people were disgusted. Not long after that the clubrooms at Arden St Oval burnt down in a mysterious fire.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Glenn Archer's mySport Website
• Stride Sports, of which Glenn Archer is a Director
• The Searching Kangaroo - Unofficial Fan Forum and sponsors of Brad Moran in Season 2007