Brent Harvey from little brat to AFL statesman, writes former teammate David King

BRENT Harvey plays his record-breaking 427th game this weekend. Former teammate David King talks about the man they call “Boomer”.

FOUR hundred and twenty-seven games. That can’t be correct. It’s almost like you need to say it twice to begin to digest the enormity of the achievement.

Brent Harvey will play his 427th AFL game.

Go back to a presentation night at the Reservoir Old Boys Football Club, Under 11s.

BOOMER DEBUT: WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN 1996

CAREER SAVER: BOOMER WAS ALWAYS JUST A CALL AWAY

Tina Bailey, the coach’s wife, called: “Come up here and get your trophy, you little boomer, you.” From that day on, Brent Harvey became known as “Boomer”.

Harvey is one of the AFL’s best stories, a role model for a game that doesn’t discriminate. Size hasn’t denied him, a challenging upbringing didn’t restrict him and he is a continuing example of identifying what talent can do rather than what it can’t.

Brent’s father Neil Harvey won competition best-and-fairest awards in the tough Diamond Valley League, a fact that, when you’re in Neil’s company, remains a secret only briefly.

Brent Harvey with children Lacie and Cooper. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Neil is always in the rooms encouraging Boomer. He’s a win, lose or draw man, Harvey Sr, the best kind of support.

Less is spoken of Debra Harvey, Boomer’s mother, who is always there but always in the background. She has unconditional love for all of her children, and doesn’t favour Brent.

Harvey is one of the AFL’s best stories, a role model for a game that doesn’t discriminate.

David King

Brent recently married Shayne McClintock after what must be close to a 20-year relationship, but such is their way. Shayne and the three kids, Cooper, Lacie and Hudson, are everything to Boomer. That’s obvious for all to see.

Shayne doesn’t seek attention but this weekend it will be unavoidable.

I’m still angry and disappointed with Brent’s brother Shane, who had serious talent, AFL stardom talent that he squandered at Essendon and North Melbourne.

Shane should be running out with Boomer at Etihad this weekend instead of kicking countless goals for North Heidelberg.

Shane was destined for interaction with the police force — I’m just glad he’s in the academy right now.

In my eyes, Boomer has looked like one of the Herald Sun’s premiership poster caricatures for years, maybe even a decade — an old head on a young man’s body, arms that look borrowed from a larger frame on a torso that appears to struggle to carry his upper body definition and a classic, oversized head.

Standing at a continually disputed 177cm, Boomer has always broken down the barriers that his life has unearthed. Through dedication to a rigid training and lifestyle platform he’s built a fitness base that most don’t seek.

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At 37, Boomer, in consultation with North coach Brad Scott, decide to commit to the full Utah pre-season training camp for the first time. Always looking for an edge, a minute improvement or just simply ensuring that others didn’t achieve any advantage.

His pre-season program also included either body sculpting or Bikram yoga, plus boxing sessions in Preston. Not on the streets like his younger days, but at Northside Gym. He often dragged others like Lindsay Thomas along with him.

Jack King, his old boxing mentor at North Melbourne, would be proud of Boomer, despite that fact Boomer did get hold of him in his later boxing training years.

MONEY BALL

Brent Harvey leads all comers when it comes to the killer kick inside 50m - the one that leads to a mark - between 2007 and 2016. He is No.1 again this season, going at 38 per cent

PLAYER	KICKS I50	MARKS	HIT RATE
Brent Harvey (NM)	653	273	42%
Nick Dal Santo (StK/NM)	643	245	38%
Scott Pendlebury (Coll)	681	252	37%
Steve Johnson (Gee/GWS)	703	258	37%
Kade Simpson (Carl)	631	231	37%

Every North Melbourne supporter always wanted the ball in Boomer’s hands. Perpetual motion, in full control and fully aware of the time and space afforded to him.

He has assessed the game better than any other player since Greg Williams and Robert Harvey, and on a par with Gary Ablett Jr over the past decade.

Boomer’s football IQ was the very first thing I noticed that separated him from the pack.

A cheekiness to baulk around the man on the mark and kick a goal was his trademark.

Boomer is the AFL’s best kick inside the forward 50m to be marked by a teammate for the past 10 years — that’s since Champion Data has been covering that facet. Often they’re short kicks at a speed the marking player enjoys, chipped at eye level and impossible to drop.

Again this season Boomer tops the “money kick” category. It’s a class-defining indicator.

Boomer would often suffer criticism for appearing selfish. Dermott Brereton called him out regularly and Boomer would accept that feedback but still want to take responsibility for his club when the goal had to be kicked.

Brent Harvey looks to launch North Melbourne into attack. Picture: George Salpigtidis

It’s a trait that can be a strength and a weakness but it’s a mindset that embodies a champion.

Across the continent another No.29, Fremantle’s Matthew Pavlich, dons the superman cape for the 350th time at AFL level. An amazing achievement considering the impact of travel.

Pav would lose the best part of four days a fortnight preparing to fly or being in the air, and add to that the countless hours in hotel rooms and days spent basically killing time before meetings and games.

He has been a lone focal point for a decade in a forward line that has been clunky at best.

He’s played 100 games more than his closest Fremantle contender — and 60 more than Dean Cox and Eagles players including Glen Jakovich, Darren Glass and Guy McKenna, who hit the wall with the arduous demands of the game and the travel factor combined.

It begs the question: Which has been the more difficult achievement?

It sounds like a crazy question given that Harvey will become the AFL’s games record holder, but Pavlich’s 350 games shouldn’t be undersold in any way, shape or form.

But back to the little champ. Along with the North Melbourne faithful, past players and genuine footy lovers everywhere, good luck on Saturday night, and congratulations.

And, hey, Boomer, any chance of one of those baulks?