96 Facts About Joel Selwood

Joel Anthony Selwood was born on 26 May 1988 and is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Joel Selwood is a four-time premiership player, a six-time All-Australian, and a three-time captain of the All-Australian team.

Joel Selwood made his AFL debut in 2007, winning the AFL Rising Star Award and AFLPA Best First-Year Player Award.

Joel Selwood has been recognized for his leadership abilities, his high levels of courage, and his consistency throughout most of his career.

Joel Selwood was appointed captain at just 23 years old, and he has won the AFLPA Best Captain Award.

Joel Selwood is a four-time recipient of the AFLPA Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award.

Joel Selwood has played in 20 games every full season of his career, and averaged over 24 disposals per game over his career, including at least 20 disposals in every full season except his debut year.

Joel Selwood polled double-digit Brownlow votes for 11 consecutive seasons, including 27 votes in 2013 when he was runner-up for the award.

Joel Selwood excelled at breaking tackles and earning free kicks, although his methods of drawing free kicks were a constant source of annoyance to critics throughout his career.

Joel Selwood was born on 26 May 1988 to Bryce and Maree Selwood in the country city of Bendigo, Victoria.

Joel Selwood's mother Maree was a top runner and tennis player, and elder twins Adam and Troy were identified as talented footballers at a young age.

Joel Selwood received an array of accolades and honours as a bottom-aged player, winning mid-year State honours for Victoria Country in the AFL National Championships.

Joel Selwood was drafted by the Geelong Football Club with their first selection, and was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2006 AFL Draft.

Nonetheless, as the equal-highest-ever draft pick for the Cats, Joel Selwood made his debut in the opening round of the 2007 AFL season and missed only four games during the regular season.

Joel Selwood earned the maximum five votes from eight of the nine judges.

Joel Selwood became only the fourth player to win both the major awards for first-year players.

Joel Selwood was the first to win the AFL Rising Star Award and play in a premiership side within the same season, making him one of the most accomplished first-year players in league history.

Joel Selwood added to his list of first-year honours at season's end with the Geelong Football Club Best First-Year Player Award, along with a top-20 placing in the Club Champion award.

Joel Selwood continued to establish himself as a key player in the Geelong midfield during the 2008 AFL season, helping the Cats achieve a record-equalling 21-win season and secure the McClelland Trophy for the second successive year.

Joel Selwood was selected for the preliminary 2008 All-Australian squad, placed sixth for the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA Most Valuable Player, and finished third in voting for the Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award.

Joel Selwood finished the season ranked within the top ten in the league for possessions, disposals per game, and handpasses.

However, Joel Selwood signed a new two-year deal with the club, citing "club success and future opportunities" as his reasons for accepting the reduced salary.

Teammate Andrew Mackie lauded Joel Selwood as "a born leader" and credited the team's second-half turnaround to Joel Selwood's reminder to "go back to basics and focus upon tackling".

Joel Selwood became the first footballer to win the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Award, adding to his season's list of accolades.

Joel Selwood finished the year ranked fourth in the league for total disposals, third for total handpasses, second for contested possessions and eighth for hard-ball gets.

Joel Selwood highlighted his desire to "give a little bit back by working hard and working through the next era of Geelong football".

Joel Selwood was restricted to just four disposals in the first half of the Qualifying Final loss, his lowest return in a half of football since his debut match in 2007.

Joel Selwood was nominated by his peers for both the AFLPA Most Valuable Player Award and the AFLPA Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award, placing fifth and second overall, respectively.

Joel Selwood was selected in the All-Australian team for the second successive year, and he placed third in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award.

Joel Selwood won his first Carji Greeves Medal, awarded for being the Geelong Football Club's best and fairest player during the 2010 season.

Joel Selwood's consistency was highlighted by his ability to play in 100 of a possible 106 games since entering the league.

Joel Selwood was recognised with various nominations at the end of the season: he was named to the preliminary All-Australian squad, and he was nominated by his peers for both the AFLPA Most Valuable Player Award and the AFLPA Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award.

Joel Selwood's elevation made him the youngest captain of the Geelong Football Club in more than a decade.

At the time of his appointment, Joel Selwood admitted to "always wanting to lead the Geelong Football Club in a manner, if I was captain or not captain" and being driven to "want to make this football club successful for a long time".

In doing so, Joel Selwood surpassed the previous record set by Jack Hawkins.

Joel Selwood became the third youngest player in club history to reach 150 games, behind only Ken Newland and Gary Ablett Jr.

Coach Chris Scott acknowledged that Joel Selwood had identified goal kicking as an area of improvement within his game, and credited Joel Selwood for taking responsibility to work hard and improve at it.

Joel Selwood's elevated performances throughout the season were recognised and rewarded through several end-of-season awards.

Joel Selwood was named for the third time as an All-Australian as the starting centreman and honoured with the captaincy of the All-Australian team for the first time in his career.

Joel Selwood placed as the runner-up to former teammate Gary Ablett Jr for both the AFLPA Most Valuable Player Award and the 2013 Brownlow Medal, his highest placing for both individual awards.

Joel Selwood polled a career-best 27 votes for the Brownlow Medal, just one vote shy of Ablett Jr.

Joel Selwood finished third in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award.

Joel Selwood averaged over 27 disposals, 6 tackles, and a goal during the winning streak until the club suffered their first loss for the season against Port Adelaide in round six.

The loss was the first time that Joel Selwood had experienced consecutive defeats in a finals series with Geelong.

Joel Selwood was named to his fourth overall All-Australian team as the starting ruck-rover, and he was honoured with the captaincy for the second successive season.

Joel Selwood won his third consecutive, and fourth overall, AFLPA Robert Rose Award as the adjudicated most courageous player.

Joel Selwood became the seventh player in the club's history to win at least three Carji Greeves Medals.

Joel Selwood's performance prompted his teammate Mitch Duncan to declare him as "an extraordinary player" whilst his coach Scott suggested that "his teammates should consider it a privilege to be playing alongside him".

Joel Selwood failed to be nominated into the All-Australian squad or final team for the first time since his debut season.

Joel Selwood was joined in the midfield by Patrick Dangerfield, an established star who was traded from Adelaide.

Joel Selwood had the opportunity to play with younger brother Scott, who joined the team from West Coast.

Joel Selwood was rated Geelong's best afield with 26 disposals, second to Dangerfield, and one goal.

Joel Selwood was named to the All-Australian team for the fifth time, and he was named captain of the team for the third time, having been recognized for leading his team back to the finals.

Joel Selwood led the league in free kicks won, was tied for fourth in clearances, and was tenth in inside-50s.

Joel Selwood had a career-best season average of 28.3 disposals per game.

Joel Selwood finished fifth in the AFLPA Best Captain voting.

Joel Selwood had 18 votes for the Brownlow Medal, second on the team behind Dangerfield, who won the award and credited Joel Selwood as one of the key reasons for his improved performance.

Joel Selwood left the Round 14 game against Fremantle after a concussion in the first minute.

Joel Selwood missed the last three games of the season after suffering an ankle injury against Sydney that required surgery.

Joel Selwood had a better game in the preliminary final against minor premiers Adelaide with 34 disposals and a goal, but he could not prevent a 61-point defeat.

Joel Selwood finished second in the voting for the AFLPA Most Courageous Player Award, and third for the AFLPA Best Captain Award.

Australia won both Tests of the series to retake the Cormac McAnallen Cup, though Joel Selwood received a black card and was sent off in the second Test for knocking Chris Barrett to the ground with a high hit after Barrett had already disposed of the ball.

Joel Selwood had a season-best 39 disposals in his milestone game, which Geelong won by three points.

Joel Selwood finished fourth in the AFLPA Best Captain Award voting.

Joel Selwood accrued 14 Brownlow votes to tie for the second-most votes on the team, behind the 17 votes Dangerfield polled.

Joel Selwood only ranked fifth in the Carji Greeves Medal voting.

Joel Selwood dominated the first half and finished with 26 disposals as well as a goal.

Geelong again exited the finals in the preliminary final stage with a 19-point defeat to the eventual premiers, Richmond; nevertheless, Joel Selwood had a good performance in the game with 30 disposals.

Nonetheless, Joel Selwood had his third- and fourth-best disposal tallies of the year in these last two finals.

Joel Selwood missed successive games twice during the season, two games in the middle due to a hamstring injury and four games towards the end with a knee injury.

Joel Selwood kicked one of Geelong's just five goals in the loss to Port Adelaide.

Joel Selwood had a better performance in the loss, gaining Geelong's second-highest total of 21 disposals and a team-high 6 clearances.

Joel Selwood only missed one game during season, not playing Round 17 due to rest and not an injury.

Joel Selwood had a season-high 39 disposals in Round 10 against Gold Coast.

Joel Selwood became Geelong's games record holder in the Semi-Final, surpassing his former teammate Corey Enright with his 333rd game for the club.

Joel Selwood nonetheless had a good performance with 24 disposals and 8 clearances.

Joel Selwood finished fourth in the voting for AFLPA Best Captain.

Joel Selwood was an integral part of the playing group; however, being a senior player, he was rested periodically throughout the season and had managed game time, which occasionally included starting the game on the bench.

In Round 3, Joel Selwood broke Stephen Kernahan's record for the most games played as an AFL captain in a thrilling 13-point victory over Collingwood.

Joel Selwood remained highly effective in the 81-point demolition of the Sydney Swans, recording 26 disposals and an emotional fourth-quarter goal.

Joel Selwood announced his retirement from AFL less than a week following the Grand Final victory.

Joel Selwood became the third consecutive Geelong captain to retire following a premiership.

Joel Selwood spent the majority of his career playing as an inside midfielder.

Joel Selwood has gained a reputation as one of the league's most courageous players, highlighted by his four Robert Rose Awards.

Joel Selwood shouldn't be penalised because he's stronger than the tackler.

Joel Selwood has summarised his leadership style on the field as "getting into that emotional state where you'd just do anything for your teammates", and off the field as "caring for your teammates and making sure they're OK and you're making them better people".

Joel Selwood considers his two immediate predecessors at Geelong, Tom Harley and Cameron Ling, as his greatest role models for leadership, having played under both.

Joel Selwood has stated his career intention to "work really hard on the basics".

Joel Selwood is married to Brit Davis, a model and special education teacher.

Joel Selwood has three brothers, all having been listed with AFL clubs: two older brothers, twins Adam and Troy, and a younger brother, Scott.

Since winning the AFL Rising Star Award sponsored by the National Australia Bank, Joel Selwood has been involved in several promotions for the bank, including in an ambassadorial role and in several television advertisement appearances.

Joel Selwood is an ambassador for Auskick, the AFL's junior development program that is sponsored by NAB, annually acting as a mentor for the junior player deemed 'Auskicker of the Year'.

Joel Selwood subsequently became the public face of both the Cotton On Foundation and its sponsorship for the rebuilding of the children's ward at Geelong Hospital.

Joel Selwood has had several endorsement and promotional deals with various companies, including Asics and Smith's.

In 2023, Joel Selwood joined Talking Footy Finals with Network Seven to discuss the first week of finals.

Joel Selwood was appointed to the AFL's football operations department for 2024.