From the Weekly Times
THERE'S not much Rhys Archard hasn't achieved at the Echuca Murray Bombers. After arriving from Cohuna as a 16-year-old, Archard has played in two premierships, won two club best-and-fairests and a Goulburn Valley league best-and-fairest and represented the VCFL.Outside of his home club, he was a rookie with Adelaide and also went on to win a SANFL Magarey medal.
Now, he's a life member of his beloved Murray Bombers - but he still has more to give, on and off the field.
Archard, 29, qualified for a life membership on Saturday after playing his 150th senior game for the club.
Fittingly, he starred with five goals as Echuca almost upset the premiership favourite Rochester in Round 1 of the Goulburn Valley season.
Murray Bombers president Brett Stevens said Echuca was thankful for the commitment from Archard in today's country footy landscape.
"For a player, it is 150 games (for life membership) and these days to get a player to commit to a club for so many games is difficult. It's a real credit to him," Stevens said.
"The club and the coach can always rely on him."
The laid-back country footballer is small in stature but has football smarts and skills that have allowed him to regularly deceive his opposition.
"He can out-body blokes 50 per cent bigger than him," Stevens said. "A few weeks ago we played Yarrawonga and one guy said, 'I will take this little bloke', and Rhys kicked three goals in 10 minutes."
Archard dominated as an 18-year-old in Echuca's back-to-back premierships in 2001 and 2002, and excelled in his move to South Australia, but has remained a favourite son at Echuca.
The vice-captain is now evolving as a father figure to young players. "They need someone to follow, Rhys has been that," Stevens said.
