Joel's 250 courageous games
Joel Selwood’s arrival at the end of 2006 put everyone on notice
THERE are two ways to define courage: the ability to do something that you are frightened of doing, and showing strength in the face of pain.
It is fortunate the latter classification exists, because without it describing Joel Selwood as courageous would be highly problematic.
The simple reason for this is that Selwood does not know what fear is.
To classify some of his deeds on the field as courageous is to suggest he does things of which he is scared and that is plainly untrue.
Selwood has never been scared of doing anything on a football field.
He is one of the toughest players to have ever set foot on an a VFL/ AFL ground and his entire career has been defined by putting himself into positions that most wouldn’t. But that comes naturally to him.
What nobody can deny, however, is Selwood’s remarkable capacity to play through injury — and that is where his courage comes to the fore.
It is something that often gets overlooked because of his fearlessness, but the Geelong captain has endured more than his fair share of knocks and bruises across 249 games.
Those who suggest that Selwood plays for free kicks overlook the fact he is more often than not first to the ball. That means opponents are forced to go beyond the rules to curb his influence, meaning umpires have no option but to protect him.
The image of him running from the field after being knocked out against Fremantle last year will stay etched in the minds of those who were at the ground for a long time — it perfectly summed him up in a matter of minutes.
There was genuine angst among the home crowd that the knock to Selwood’s head in a contest was a serious one, yet when the stretcher came on to the field he rose to his feet, jogged off, and then wanted desperately to return to the playing field.
Club doctors told him in no uncertain terms that was not an option.
It is that type of pain threshold that is legendary within the walls of GMHBA Stadium, but for all of the discussion about his bravery, there is a softer side to Selwood that few get to witness.
He is modest enough to point out that footballers perform courageous acts every week. But the 29-year-old conceded it only became apparent to him after seeing his mum, Maree, and his partner Brit, after that Dockers clash, that those he is closest to found watching him to be, at times, confronting.
“I thought that it was (easy for them) until last year when I had a concussion down here,” Selwood said.
“It was the first time that mum (and Brit) became quite emotional at the footy, so that was when I probably started to think about people more.
“But everyone that goes out to compete is quite tough in many different ways. I had a locker next to Tom Lonergan for 11 years and seeing him get dressed each day and pull off his top and you see that big scar on his chest. You just scratch your head and think ‘He probably shouldn’t be playing’.
“But it makes it easy to go out and want to do your best and that is all we ask for.
“There are probably a couple (of incidents) when I thought I was a bit lucky (not to get seriously hurt), and I’ve been looked after from my own teammates or guys competing against me, where if I was in their situation I don’t know if I’d look after that bloke as well as I’d been looked after.”
Lonergan was already at the Cats when Selwood arrived at the end of 2006. The club had just endured its annus horribilis and completed a thorough review covering every aspect of what had gone wrong and what needed to be fixed. Changes were made with immediate effect.
The club began a cultural transformation led by Tom Harley and results soon followed.
But Lonergan, who played in the 2011 flag alongside Selwood, said it was no coincidence that sustained success came shortly after the then 18-year-old walked through the doors.
“People don’t understand how crucial he was during that cultural shift in 2007,” Lonergan said.
“It was a real turning point in the club’s history and he was very important during that time.
“He came in as a first-year player and drove the standards. He showed blokes like me and other players how you go about being elite in your preparation and your training and what was expected.
“He was an amazing leader right from the start.”
Selwood’s winning percentage over 11 seasons is simply phenomenal.
His record of 188 victories and a draw puts him just above 75 per cent, and provided he plays in 12 wins before game 267 he will become the fastest player to notch 200 wins in the game’s history.
The former Bendigo Pioneer junior will also become Geelong’s longest serving captain in a few weeks and he admitted that he had arrived at the Cats at the right time.
“A part of it is that I feel really lucky, but I’ve been around some good people that have driven it too, so they deserve the success that we’ve been able to have here so far and into the future hopefully. So we’ve just got to keep those standards up,” Selwood said.
“I played with a hell of a lot of good players over the journey and I’ve been really proud receiving some of the messages this week from those guys that I have played with throughout the great era at Geelong … it does mean that it is special.”
Lonergan is one of the fortunate ones to have seen the other side of Selwood that most haven’t.
When Lonergan was weighing up a godfather offer from the Western Bulldogs at the end of 2014, his captain was on the phone from overseas to reassure him there would be no judgment from Geelong if he decided it was in his best interests to leave.
It was an act Lonergan will be forever grateful for. He says that quite apart from Selwood’s courage and leadership, it is those things he will be remembered for by those with whom he played.
“He has got a pretty tough exterior and we all know how courageous and tough and hard he is, but his ability to relate to every player on the list is a special asset and what makes him such a great leader,” he said.
“You don’t see his interpersonal skills but he gets around the entire group and goes out for coffee with them, he touches base with every single player on the list to make sure they’re going well and coping because it is such a high-intensity environment.
“That is one of his biggest assets, the way he can resonate with each person on different levels.
“From the outside I don’t think people appreciate that, but internally everyone knows he is loyal. He shows an interest in what you are doing and he is very generous with his time and what he does for charities. “He’s been unbelievable.” The team-first ethos at Geelong Football Club means it is unlikely we will see another player have a grandstand at Kardinia Park named after them any time soon.
Nor, as is the tradition at the MCG, will there be statues of individuals erected.
Names such as Brian Cook and Frank Costa would be among the candidates for a grandstand if the Cats chose to go down that path, but if there was one player of the current era worthy of such recognition it would be hard to go past Selwood.
There is no doubting he will go down as one of the greats of the Geelong Football Club, and of the game.
When he retires, he may even leave with the reputation of the most courageous person it has ever seen.