A massively talented all-rounder from Queensland, Ron Archer could have had a much longer career for Australia if it wasn't for a recurring knee injury that sucked all the life out of him. A flamboyant strokemaker with the bat and an pacer who could bowl a heavy ball, it didn't take long for Ron to make the transition from first-class cricket to Tests, given his undoubted prowess with both bat and ball right from his domestic debut. The multi-dimensional skills meant that he was always under the selectors' radar and it was only a matter of time before he played for the country. Having made his international debut as a teenager, Ron became a permanent fixture of the Australian team for the next few years. His all-round skills made him an exciting prospect who was too tough to be left out. The initial years weren't easy though, as Ron took his time to settle into the demanding nature of international cricket but once he did so, the impact was there for all to see.

The West Indies tour in 1955 saw Ron at his best as a batsman while the Ashes tour next year had him putting in some delightful bowling performances. However, the Pakistan tour of 1956 was a significant moment in Ron's career as that's when he suffered the knee injury that could never really be resolved thereafter. In a bid to make a national comeback, he dug in hard in the domestic circuit, playing mostly as a specialist batsman. Success was there but the knee pain was also refusing to give up which
eventually led to retirement. Subsequently, he became a television executive and an ICC match referee, also becoming Cricket Australia's Code of Behaviour commissioner in between. A cheerful personality, Ron contributed to the game in a lot of ways despite having a brief playing career. In 1995, he was named as a Member of the Order of Australia. Ron passed away in 2007 after a battle with lung cancer. He was inducted into Queensland's Hall of Fame in 2009.