Certain AFL players embed themselves in your consciousness. For North Melbourne supporters, Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey is like an old rug, covering the knees every winter.

He’s been doing it since 1996, when John Howard came into the Prime Ministership and Wayne Carey led the Kangaroos to the flag. Back then he was a little kid from the northern suburbs with legs that turned over at a million miles an hour, a running machine.

Twenty seasons on, he’s still running, weaving, bouncing. It’s unfathomable to think how good he has been and for how long.

• Young woman kicks goal of the year contender
• Grant Thomas: how the AFL is killing poorer clubs 
• Warner wants Rogers to delay retirement

He hits 400 games in Brisbane this weekend and for context, in the history of the VFL and AFL only three have done it before him – Michael Tuck, Kevin Bartlett and (this year) Dustin Fletcher, who has turned 40.

Essendon’s enduring champion Fletcher has a groin injury and may not play again, perhaps only for a ceremonial farewell. By contrast, Boomer Harvey is still running strong at 37 years of age, no matter what you hear coming out of the North Melbourne coaching box in recent times. He is still in North’s best handful of players with Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington and company.

Harvey should really break Tuck’s AFL record of 426 games played, sometime next year. North coach Brad Scott keeps saying that a decision on Harvey’s future will be made “in the best interests of the club”, but this is coach-speak, designed to keep everyone at Arden Street on edge.

Can anyone really imagine Scott retiring Harvey out of North Melbourne against his wishes? Surely North’s team aspirations can be married up with the notion that one of its greatest-ever players could conceivably break one of AFL football’s landmarks?

A fortnight ago against Geelong, Scott gave Harvey the substitute’s vest for the first time in his career, and it caused much talk and commotion. But really, it should not have. For his part, a chastened Harvey came on to the ground with his legs turning even quicker than usual; the following week, against Essendon, he was in the starting 18 and had 34 disposals.

Scott said it was about playing a role, and it is possible to see what the coach is on about. Harvey is accustomed to winning games for North Melbourne, taking responsibility as a leader. The coach probably wants him to lay a few more tackles. I’m pretty sure they can sort that out between them.

Actually, if the substitute rule remains beyond 2015 – and that’s not clear – Harvey might extract another two years out of that little, tungsten body of his. He didn’t like wearing the green vest, but that’s just pride. As a regular sub, he would be brilliant, in the same way that Daniel Giansiracusa was for the Western Bulldogs in his final year.

Brent Harvey is a champion, pure and simple, and to measure his greatness you need to talk about his size. He’s just 167 centimetres tall and 75 kilograms, and when Denis Pagan as North coach first heard about him through club recruiter Neville Stibbard 20 years ago, Pagan was told he was “smaller than Darren Gauci”.

Midfielders nowadays are stretching beyond 190 centimetres in height, in the Scott Pendlebury, Josh Kennedy, Jobe Watson vein. So Harvey had the trend working against him. But like Sam Mitchell, he was too good at what he did to allow it to be a problem. He doesn’t go to ground, doesn’t fumble. And he’s wickedly quick, even now.

Harvey said this week he doubted anyone would ever reach 400 games again, and it’s worth pondering. Adam Goodes, Sydney’s superstar, is at 364 games but his knees are shot and he would need to play two more years, an unlikely scenario. He is the only player within a bull’s roar of 400.

Boomer could be right, we might be witnessing the last celebration of a 400-game player. The game chews people up not much beyond 30. The survivors are exceptional. Like Brent Harvey.

BRENT HARVEY: A CAREER

Debut: 1996
Premierships: 1 (1999)
All-Australian: 4 (2000, 2005, 2007, 2008)
Barker Medal: 5 (2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010)
Brownlow Medal: runner-up 2007
Captain: 2009-11
North Melbourne team of the century