It was a wet MCG, that day. Victoria thrashed South Australia, and the winner of the medal for best afield for the Big V was a 21-year-old who had started with Preston RSL and who was selected only because bigger men with bigger reputations were unavailable.
Fifteen years later, the little man who won that medal may well stand above all bar one person as North Melbourne's best player.
Click here for more Damian Barrett
Wayne Carey is The King, the standout North No.1, and forever will be.
But the little man, Brent Harvey, who is a month shy of being 36 years old, has put himself into the conversation when it comes to determining who is No.2.
Harvey's longevity alone puts him in the debate; and the fact he is still kicking match-winning goals in the final quarters of the Roos' past two games - his 364th and 365th premiership season matches - is proof he is not limping through his 19th year.
Sub rule may get Boomer to 400, says Scott
When you talk North greats, you scroll down a long list.
Carey. Keith Greig. Ross Glendinning. Malcolm Blight. Barry Cable. David Dench. Wayne Schimmelbusch. Les Foote. John Dugdale. Allen Aylett. Laurie Dwyer. Jock Spencer. Jim Krakouer. Noel Teasdale. Glenn Archer. Anthony Stevens.
There are more, and that's before you get to the champions who played elsewhere before having great influence at North – Brent Crosswell, Barry Davis, John Rantall, Doug Wade.
Ranking Harvey is inexact science, obviously. The fact that this 167cm, 75kg man can be talked about in the same breath as giants of the Kangaroos is significant enough.
Here's the views of influential North people.
Glenn Archer, 311 games for North and the Shinboner of the Century: "He (Harvey) might have cemented that spot now (North's No.2 player of all-time). Look at his record. He has been consistently good over his whole career. You realise how good he is when he has a quiet game, because on the rare occasion he does have a quiet game, he cops it. Five best-and-fairests, yep, he's there at No.2."
Greg Miller, long-time North Melbourne chief executive: "For me, it's Schimma (Schimmelbusch). Not saying that others didn't, but Schimma gave his absolute every single time he played. Greig, Glendinning, just stars. Archer, Blight, Dench. Denchy revolutionised the game. Dugdale. Boomer (Harvey) is in there somewhere, though, no doubt. But give me Schimma."
Malcolm Blight, Brownlow medallist: "I've always classified longevity as 50 per cent of the package, 25 per cent impact, 25 per cent undeniable talent. Harvey's got all of that. He's a game changer. Where does he fit? He's in the conversation. Certainly top 10. Is he top five? Hmmm. No one was better than Wayne Carey. You've got Greig, Dench – he changed modern footy, don't forget that."
Wayne Carey, North's greatest player: "To be honest with you, I really don't want to do an order. But you'd have to have Boomer in the discussion. But would he be ahead of Greig, Blight, Glendinning, Cable. Would he? Don't forget Wayne Schwass and Anthony Stevens. It's impossible to compare position to position, era to era. The Kangaroos have been very fortunate to have had a lot of great champions. Boomer is in the conversation, longevity gets him into the conversation."
Ron Joseph, long-time North powerbroker: "Greig, then Cable. But he's right up there. Blight, Aylett, Foote. The thing about Harvey is that he is as good now as he has ever been. Hasn't lost one part of what made him great."
Wayne Schwass, two-time North best-and-fairest winner: "I've loved watching him, he's in the top bracket no doubt, but I'd have Schimma and Greig there. It's be pretty hard to get past those two."
Geoff Walsh, long-time North football department official and CEO: "There would have to a strong argument for Boomer. Longevity. He's always stayed in the upper echelon of players in the competition. He's maintained his pace and agility. He loves the game. I wouldn't argue against Boomer. North has been littered with champions. Greig, two Brownlows, Glendinning, just a superstar. Schimma. Boomer doesn't lose much by comparison. Imagine him playing with those guys."
Geoff Poulter, long-time influential, award-winning journalist and selector of North's Team of the Century: "Six years ago I would have had Harvey at No.20. Now, I'd have him No.5. Carey, Blight, Greig, Schimma, then Harvey. When he's finished he could be No.3. Dench, Foote, Dugdale, Aylett, Glendinning is my top 10. That doesn't include the blokes who came to the club late like (John) Rantall, Davis, Crosswell, Doug Wade."
Denis Pagan, two-time North premiership coach: "I wouldn't like to give an opinion, there will be guys who may get their nose out of joint. It's very difficult."
Keith Greig, 1973 and 1974 Brownlow medallist: "Harvey could easily be the No.2. Nearly 400 games, phenomenal. Wayne Carey is easily the best, easily. Malcolm Blight is up there. Barry Cable. Barry Davis came to North late but was just fantastic. And if you had to go to war, I'd go with Schimma."
Below: North stars Wayne Schimmelbusch and Keith Greig in the early 80s. Picture: AFL Media
Twitter: @barrettdamian
