Why Joel Selwood is one of the best captains I’ve seen

The first person I really looked up to in footy was a bloke by the name of Laurie Pendrick.

I was probably in the under-10s when he was captain-coach at North Wagga. He was respected wherever he went, from my hometown, to Queensland, Tasmania and suburban Melbourne.

In many respects, Laurie was the Leigh Matthews of the country, because he was a midfielder who’d push forward and kick goals. He actually booted more than 100 goals in a season on several occasions.

But above all else, Pendrick was a fearless leader.

He was always a target for the opposition but was tough enough to deal with it and his teammates would run through brick walls for him.

At VFL level, I viewed Stephen Kernahan in the same light. I knew of “Sticks” from my time in Adelaide before he joined Carlton in 1986 and became captain there in 1987. He was 24 when he led the Blues to the flag in the same year.

Because footy is now such a national competition, it’s difficult to explain how big a leap that was for a young kid from South Australia – the Big V’s greatest rivals – to come over and captain a club such as Carlton at such a young age.

Stephen Kernahan holds up the 1987 premiership cup.Credit: The Age

Sticks had a presence few others possessed. He led not only with his actions but with that booming voice.

I was lucky enough to play a State of Origin game alongside him back in 1992 as part of a South Australian team that also boasted his Blues teammate Craig Bradley, John Platten and the Jarman brothers.

For everyone that played that day at Football Park, beating Victoria was one of the prouder moments of our careers and Sticks was at the forefront.

There are only a few others that deserve to be in the same leadership conversation as him. Paul Kelly is one. Another Wagga boy, Kelly probably doesn’t get the accolades he deserves.

He led by his actions rather than his words but was an inspirational skipper at Sydney because of his incredible courage and selflessness.

During the glory days at Brisbane, Michael Voss was very much in a similar mould in terms of bravery. The fact Matthews couldn’t talk more highly about “Vossy” as a captain says about all you need to know.

Chris Scott has said much the same about Joel Selwood.

Like Kernahan, Selwood became a captain at Geelong when there were many great champions around him who were much older.

He was 23 when he captained his first match in 2012, after those three flags in the five years prior. Before him the Cats had Tom Harley and then Cameron Ling as captains.

They were both fine players, but more standard-setters than stars. Joel had that star power in a side that also boasted the likes of Gary Ablett jnr and Jimmy Bartel.

Joel Selwood is a brilliant captain.Credit: Getty Images

His six All-Australians are testament to that.

Central to his leadership has been his durability and consistency, which is even more remarkable when you consider how he’s played the game.

Selwood has never asked a teammate to do something he wasn’t willing to do first.

At times in the past 18 months it’s looked like that combative style was finally taking its toll on his body, with niggling injuries holding him back.

But now he seems reinvigorated.

The standards he has set have been exactly why the Cats have been a destination club and remained in contention for so long.

I’ve got no doubt an attractive feature of moving to Geelong for guys such as Patrick Dangerfield or Jeremy Cameron was playing under Joel.

The culture that club has built is in no small part down to his leadership.

Players are prepared to move there for less money, and there’s no doubt it’s because the captain has already made considerable sacrifices in that area.

I’ve never liked comparing players from different eras, as Kernahan, Kelly, Voss and now Selwood have played in vastly different times.

But as pure leaders, i’ve always had Kernahan and Voss at the top of the pile, just ahead of Kelly. Holding the cup aloft as premiership captains helps set those two apart.

Despite his many accolades it’s something Joel is yet to do at Geelong, but I still rate him as their equal as the greatest leader I’ve seen.

And if Selwood can add another premiership to his collection – this time as skipper – that will elevate him into a league of his own.

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