Jon Anderson looks at the rise of Joel Selwood through the eyes of those who know him best

FROM the outside, it is easy to think Joel Selwood might be perfect. Through 249 games he has been one of the game’s biggest stars. But on the eve of his latest milestone, those who know Selwood best detail what he’s really like.

FOR all the classics he has been a part of over 249 games, Joel Selwood nominates a home-and-away loss as the game that springs to mind if he had to showcase Australian rules around the world.

Sunday afternoon, July 5, Round 14, 2009, at Telstra Dome to be precise, when the undefeated Geelong and St Kilda went at it like rarely seen.

The scoreboard was unable to separate them until a towering Michael Gardiner mark and goal ultimately proved the six-point difference in the Saints’ favour.

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“The standard of that game was the best that I’ve ever played in,” recalled Selwood, 29, on the eve of his 250th match against Melbourne at the MCG.

“The flow-on effect was enormous as we had seven to eight changes the next week and lost to Brisbane by seven goals at the Gabba.

“You could say the intensity was greater than a grand final and if you could have that game as an advertisement, you could pitch our code around the world.

Lenny Hayes tackles Joel Selwood during what celebrate describes as one of the toughest games he ever played in.

“It’s the game our guys still speak about the most, Cam Mooney and Harry Taylor, players like that. You know and understand how lucky you were to be a part of it.”

And naturally enough a key component was Selwood, the then 21-year-old from Bendigo with the smouldering eyes and boyish good looks that bely a ferocious attack on the ball and will to win.

“Sell” as he’s known to his mates, or “Gol Gol” as he referred to himself as a little tacker, is the consummate footballer’s footballer — a shake hands before the game then “God help you if you get in my way” type.

He is also the third fastest to reach 250 games in terms of career duration (10 years, 358 days) behind Wayne Schimmelbusch (10, 113) and Adam Goodes (10, 140).

He was always destined for greatness according to his older brother Troy, who played 75 games for Brisbane in a high-achieving football family — his twin Adam notched up 187 with West Coast and their youngest brother Scott has played 154 with West Coast and Geelong.

The Selwood boys together after the 2007 AFL Grand Final.

FAMILY

Troy Selwood: “For Adam and I, we could see that Joel was an exceptional talent from a very early age.

“It was obvious he was going to have a career in sport, more a matter of which path he took out of footy, basketball or athletics.

“What isn’t he any good at? For a kid who is so brave on the field he has never been one to enjoy a roller coaster or jumping out of a plane.

“And the three of us as in his brothers always get into him saying he sucked up all the sporting talent but academically he is well and truly fourth in line.

“The three of us have Uni degrees but Joel hasn’t been near a Uni.

“With Joel, what you see is what you get. He’s got a really close friendship group who he’s been mates with for almost 20 years. Brock Bouch, Jarryn Geary (St Kilda captain) and John Leyden.

“We used to call them Entourage from that TV series, with Joel as Vinny Chase.

“I wish I could give you more dirt on Joel, but he’s basically a pretty good young bloke who doesn’t muck up.”

Joel Selwood and best mates Brock Bouch and John Leyden.

MATES

John Leyden, who works in the strength and conditioning department at Geelong, met Selwood at the Catholic College in Bendigo in Year 7.

“We had played footy against each other before we met and I never really played with him even after we became mates, which wasn’t ideal because with Joel, friendships end once you cross the line,” he said.

“Off the field he’s the best mate you could ask for.

“He might seem perfect on the outside but like the rest of us, there are plenty of things he’s not good at.

“He’s definitely not a good driver and if you asked him to spell certain words he would reach for a dictionary. And he hates sand, even though he lives near such great beaches.”

Brock Bouch, a mortgage broker, is another of Selwood’s close friends.

“I came from Castlemaine and knew who Joel was before I met him at school in Bendigo, he was just one of those boys who everyone knew,” Bouch said.

“His parents, Marie and Bryce, were so open with their time and home.

“Wherever he’s played, the teams have been successful and he has always been about the team, keen to bring his lesser teammates into the game.”

Joel Selwood celebrates after the 2007 AFL Grand Final.

RECRUITER

Geelong list manager Stephen Wells snapped Selwood at No. 6 in the 2006 draft.

“I can still remember leaving for the 2006 National Draft on a Saturday morning to drive to Melbourne and saying to my wife if you hear me call the name Joel Selwood, then you will know it’s been a very good day,” he said.

“Our early preparation hadn’t included Joel because we didn’t think he would get through to us.

“But by draft day we knew, or thought we knew, who the first five clubs were going to select and Joel wasn’t part of that.

“So it came down to Pick 6 and who Hawthorn was going to pick. It’s fair to say I was very nervous when Hawthorn had their choice (Mitch Thorp).

“Joel was such a star in 2005. He then only played about three games in 2006 due to his knee. Our medical staff thought his knee would be OK.”

Andrew Mackie and Joel Selwood shared a special bond. Picture: Getty Images

TEAMMATE

Retired Cat Andrew Mackie: “I knew from day dot he pushed himself more than anyone else you would see, one out of the box.

“But there were a couple of times in his first year of 2007 when things weren’t really happening for him (Selwood played 21 or 25 games in his debut season, being named emergency three times and rested once for soreness).

“He was impatient in getting to where he wanted to, he wanted to be the best from the get go.

“His will and want to get the team over the line you won’t see in too many generations. It’s one thing to want to do it, it’s another to be able to.”

THE PLAYER

Joel Selwood: “I’m feeling good. To be honest I’ve been running on top of the ground really well in the past few weeks.

“Last year I had a really good start but lost momentum after I got concussed. I didn’t come back as sharp and was chasing towards the back end of the year, and got a little bit desperate rather than letting it come to me.

“The 250 games have crept up on me. I think I was helped a lot early in 2007 when I was effectively playing the sub’s role.

“Brendan McCartney looked after me by starting me on the bench for each quarter, meaning I only played 60-70 per cent of games.

“Nowadays you have to play at least 80 per cent of the games and you are up and back a lot more.

Joel Selwood has showed no signs of slowing down. Picture: Michael Klein

“I have watched Gary (Ablett) come back and the energy that he’s come back with is something I want to keep in my footy career. Gary is more relaxed now.

“Back in 2010 he was making his way as the best player in the league, which he had become. “But he was competing all the time, with the guys in his own draft, like his teammates James Kelly, Jim Bartel and Steve Johnson. They all wanted to be as good as each other.

“Now he has come back and it’s, ‘how and where can I help, how do you want me to do it?’. He’s training as well as I’ve seen, in fact I can’t remember him running as well as he is now.”