There is no doubt that if Harnwell’s struggling team-mates are looking for inspiration, they only need to turn their eyes to the commanding figure sporting the number five shirt.

Jamie Coyne may be the official club captain, but Harnwell is undeniably its heartbeat, its soul and its driving force.

Not only does he represent a tangible link to the heady days of NSL success, he shows a level of commitment to the cause and pride in the shirt not seen nearly enough at Members Equity Stadium in recent times.

Modest, open and approachable, he enjoys an incredible rapport with the Glory faithful, many of whom flocked to the humble surroundings of Percy Doyle Reserve to show their appreciation on Saturday afternoon.

Supporters in the modern era have become increasingly wary of forming close emotional attachments to star players.

Far too often, fans’ favourites are kissing the badge one week and packing their bags for pastures new and richer the next.

The economic reality is, of course, that players must look to cash in while the going is good, but as a result, long-serving club legends have become something of a dying breed.

Such erstwhile characters used to be referred to as “stalwarts”, indeed the title was standard fare in the 70s and 80s.

Mention it to a younger fan these days, however and they’d probably think it was something found on the shelves of the local pharmacy.

Part of the reason for Harnwell’s popularity is, perhaps, that he is something of a throwback to that earlier era when player power had yet to seize control of the game.

A local lad, graduating from the terraces to play for his hometown club and becoming the darling of the crowd, there is almost a comic-book aspect to the 31-year-old’s career.

All he needs to do now is pass Scott Miller and Bobby Despotovski to claim the all-time club appearance record, then take over as player-manager, steer the club to an A-League Grand Final and score a hat-trick to win the game.

If only it were that easy.

For now, Harnwell has his work cut out simply trying to galvanise a demoralised Glory side into salvaging something from what has been a woeful season thus far.

It is a mighty task, but he will be greatly assisted by the imminent return of key figures Hayden Foxe and Amaral, while the recall of Tando Velaphi should end the club’s goalkeeping trials and tribulations.

Throw in regular goalscorer Eugene Dadi and Glory look to have the spine of a side that should be capable of edging away from the foot of the ladder.

Leaders tend to emerge in times of crisis and Glory are fortunate to have in Harnwell just such a figure, who can inspire through both word and deed.

If he manages to do that between now and the end of the season, The Shed should seriously consider following the example set by their counterparts at Fiorentina.

Fans of the Serie A club famously funded the construction of a statue of their hero Gabriel Batistuta inside the Stadio Artemio Franchi. “Harn-gol” may not have quite the same ring as “Bati-gol”, but they are both cut from the same cloth.

Quite simply, no-one brings hope like a hero - and at the moment, no A-League club needs hope more than Glory.