North Melbourne have honoured retired AFL champion Brent Harvey by retiring his famous No.29 guernsey indefinitely.
The AFL's games record holder wore the same number throughout his decorated 21-year, 432-game career with the Kangaroos.
The 38-year-old reluctantly retired at the end of the season after the club controversially decided against offering him a new contract, along with fellow veterans Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo.
"I didn't expect the No.29 to be retired ... I think it's a fantastic gesture, though, from the football club," Harvey said.
"(I'm) obviously very privileged that the club have chosen to do that."
Retiring guernsey numbers is rare in the AFL but more commonplace in American sporting codes like the NBA and NFL.
Collingwood haven't handed out Darren Millane's No.42 guernsey since he died in a car accident in 1991, while Adelaide retired the No.19 guernsey in a marketing ploy in appreciation of their members known as 'the 19th man'.
Crow-turned-Geelong Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield was the last player to wear the number, for two games, in his debut season in 2008.
Harvey was still performing at an elite level when he was moved on by the Roos and briefly considered continuing his career at another club.
Ultimately, he decided against the move in favour of playing with his brother at North Heidelberg in the Northern Football League.
The five-time Syd Barker medallist will soon return to Arden Street in a new role as a skills coach and mentor to the club's young players.
"I'm really excited to sink my teeth into something new and it will be great to hang around the club for another couple of years," he said.
"A few years ago when Brady Rawlings retired, he came back and worked with the guys when they got drafted.
"He just taught them a little bit about the history and how hard you need to train to become an elite footballer so, if I can share a little bit of my experience with them and hopefully teach them something along the way, that'd be pretty cool, I reckon."
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