Cats captain Joel Selwood is more than a great footballer, he’s a good man and that lifts us all

Joel Selwood is a courageous, skilled footballer but as his acts of kindness at the Grand Final showed, above all, he’s a good man. That lifts us all.

I’m not a Cats fan, but I’m a fan of Joel Selwood.

I think he’s a good man.

It’s not his trademark courage on the footy field – although, of course, that’s beyond question – and it’s not even his mature leadership that impresses me most, it’s his humanity.

When he carried little Levi Ablett, who has a physical disability, on to the MCG at the start of Saturday’s Grand Final, it was with such gentle care.

With one arm carefully across the beaming little man’s lower torso and through his legs, and the other supporting his upper body, across his chest – exactly the same way Levi’s proud parents, Gary and Jordan, are seen holding their son.

Joel Selwood carefully supports Levi Ablett. Picture: Getty Images

As he walked with his precious bundle — no doubt with adrenaline coursing through his body before what was possibly the game of his lifetime — Selwood slowed and kissed Levi’s blonde head.

Jordan Ablett had already heaped praise on Selwood for the man he is, off the field.

She knew her son was in good and safe hands.

“This (was) a moment that our family and extended family will cherish forever. Levi being ‘one of the boys’ on GF day with a 100,000+ crowd roaring. It was just magic!”, she posted afterwards.

Selwood tenderly kisses little Levi. Picture: Getty Images

Selwood said Isaac Smith may have taken home the Norm Smith Medal, but, for his money, a smiling Levi was his best on ground.

At the end of the game, after the Cats annihilated the Swans and in receiving his premiership medal, Selwood gifted his boots to Archie, the Auskicker who shared the stage with him.

He also helped the Cats long-time water carrier and “spiritual leader”, Sam Moorfoot, across the fence and on to the ground to be truly part of his team’s victory.

Selwood with Auskicker of the year, Archie. Picture: Getty Images

Selwood with Sam Moorfoot after he helped him over the fence. Picture: Getty Images

“Sammy”, who has Down syndrome, looked incredulous as Selwood approached, then assisted him to scramble over the barrier and on to the field.

Another man’s lasting memory made.

Acknowledged with this year’s Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award at the Brownlow Medal, Selwood is widely known and loved for the time he gives to kids and causes.

With wife Brit pregnant after a heartbreaking journey to conceive, he’ll soon be lavishing love on a child of his own.

What a lucky kid that will be.

My own dad — a good, kind and gentle man, now in his early 80s, but once a very handy forward for Mulgrave — has always rated Selwood above all other modern players.

He admires him for his character. Likes the cut of his jib. Thinks he’s just a good man, and that that’s more important than all the sporting skill in the world.

On Saturday, Selwood set the bar for what it is to be a good human, as well as a good footballer. In doing so, he brought a lot of people a lot of joy.

Originally published as Cats captain Joel Selwood is more than a great footballer, he’s a good man and that lifts us all