OCCASIONALLY, late at night, I'll turn on the television and watch the legendary Late Show with David Letterman from the US. I like Dave's top 10, where he lists the reasons why a certain thing might happen. A lot of fun.

Today, I've got my own top 10. But it's no joke.

It's the top 10 reasons why I admire Glenn Archer, the North Melbourne Shinboner of the Century.

In no particular order, put together via observations mostly from 1700 kilometres away, and as an occasional combatant since 1992, my top 10 Archerisms are: loyalty, competitiveness, friendship, family, courage, honesty, integrity, contribution, ambition, passion.

No doubt most of the talk this week, in the build-up to his 300th game, will be about the heroics of Archer on the field. But it's probably the person I admire more.

We all know he's one of the all-time greats who, above all else, is courageous to the point of being ridiculous.

Despite being in the twilight of his career, he threw himself around time and again against Adelaide at Carrara last Saturday night, and I thought to myself, "something will happen here".

It did. Coming in from the side, up against two bigger Crows defenders early in the last quarter, he launched himself at a ball he had no right to even think of marking. He almost marked it before crashing heavily and bouncing straight back up to the next contest.

Nothing special about that — an everyday event for him. No handball, no mark, no kick from the contest, yet the impact was obvious — his ability to influence a contest, a game, by sheer presence alone. This one attack on the ball visibly lifted those around him.

His presence alone starts him ahead of most. It's a value that is not measured on any stats sheet. A value his teammates will see.

There aren't many opponents in the AFL about whom, when they're coming your way, you close your eyes and hope you're still in one piece after the collision. He is one of them.

He will keep his eye on the ball every time and play every ball on its merits. And he'll come at you at 100kmh every time.

If you beat him in a one-on-one contest, he'll let you know he's not happy and might even give you that frustrated little kidney punch to let you know he doesn't like losing.

It's hard to believe the dual premiership player and triple All-Australian is only 182 centimetres. That makes him shorter than me (just). And I can't picture myself ever playing as a key defender, as he's done on occasions. His CV is impressive, and you could then fill a page with the heroics he has performed on a football field.

We will talk of the time that he flew time and time again in front of Plugger in the 1996 grand final. The endless times he lifted the Roos off the deck to inspire his team to another victory.

It is the qualities of the man that enable him to do so. It is these qualities that mean he refuses to give up when he is losing; the same quality that means that despite obstacles, he still fights for his goals and will stand behind what he believes in with conviction and belief. You can almost always expect an honest and open discussion with Arch. At least you are not confused about where he sits on a subject.

It does appear, though, that new rule interpretations are really testing his resolve at times. As usual, he makes his feelings known.

He has used his standing in the game and in the community to contribute to other people's lives and help them realise their goals. Whether it is buying a van for the Kangaroos, or helping Mare-Nepe Willcox, a young man with cerebral palsy who he befriended 10 years ago and who you always see in the rooms after games. Arch is leaving his own trademark on the game and on the North Melbourne Football Club.

There is so much about Arch that we have come to know and respect — the loyalty to his club and his friends, his complete dedication to his family, his insatiable appetite for the competition and his driving ambition to achieve more.

There is the tremendous courage he shows on the field and his unwillingness to take a backward step off it. There is his open and honest communication and his passion to use who he is to contribute to other people's lives.

It all adds up to something I've enjoyed watching. Congratulations and all the best in the 300th, mate.