Glenn Archer says he left North Melbourne board in 2021 because of negative media

Nobody loves North Melbourne more than Glenn Archer. But he has now stepped away from the club after an ongoing industry battle.

Glenn Archer has explained why he quit the North Melbourne board.

Former Kangaroos hardman Glenn Archer has opened up about his decision to step down from North Melbourne’s board earlier this month, revealing negative media coverage had taken a toll on him and his family.

Speaking on the TAB Inside 50 Podcast with Crawf and Quinny on Tuesday, the 311-game Kangaroos champion said he would continue to support the club in an unofficial capacity wherever possible, but the “domino effect” of criticism making its way to his children meant his official position as a club director was no longer worth the effort.

“I’m always going to be there for the club, absolutely,” Archer said.

“If they ring me tomorrow, I’m helping. But I don’t need the board position. The club’s in good shape, and I don’t have to deal with idiots like that writing stuff about (me).”

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Glenn Archer has explained why he quit the North Melbourne board.

The Shinboner of the Century said while he had avoided reading papers and watching the news for years, he was always aware of criticism over his influence at North Melbourne.

“My mates get a kick out of sending the articles on WhatsApp … it’s generally a Caroline Wilson or a Damian Barrett having a crack at me about something. That’s how I get my information,” Archer said.

“I’ve bitten back once at Damian and once at Caro, but it’s just a waste of time.

“You just give them more ammunition. You whack them, they just come back twice as hard again, with things that are 100 per cent wrong.”

“As you can probably tell, them two (sic) aren’t on my Christmas card list.

“It’s extraordinary being on a football club board. Once you become privy to all the information - so you know exactly what the information is, you know exactly what you’re doing, you know exactly where you’re going - I just find it extraordinary how wrong the media gets it.

“It’s a horrible existence, I reckon, when you’re at that sort of level of journalism. They’re just trying to put people down, ruin people’s lives, make sure they lose their job, make sure someone gets the sack, cause complete friction around clubs and individuals. Why would you want to do that? I don’t get it … You could not pay me enough to do something like that.”

Archer revealed he had considered taking journalists to court, but said he hasn’t “got four years to piss-fart around with lawyers”.

Glenn Archer’s son Jackson is showing promise for the Northern Knights in the NAB League. He would qualify as a father-son Kangaroos prospect. Picture: Michael Klein

“They know that you’re not going to sue for defamation because it’s too hard. It’s a three-four year process. I’ve had a couple of things where I know that it’s just untrue and I can prove it.”

Archer said he was looking forward to supporting North Melbourne without being at the centre of criticism.

“It has a domino effect, because your kids read it. They’re into social media - they’re a little bit older - and then you’ve got to answer their questions. ‘Why are they saying that about you?’

“It’s good to just sit in the background and do your bit, and you don’t have to put up with idiots writing stuff about you.”