Geelong captain Joel Selwood has announced his retirement, ending a glorious 16-year career that was capped with a fourth premiership in the 2022 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
Selwood ends his 355-game career as the longest-serving captain in VFL/AFL history, having taken over from Cameron Ling ahead of the 2012 season. He is the third successive Geelong captain to retire after leading the club to a premiership following Tom Harley (2009) and Ling (2011).
He also retires as Geelong's games record holder, and is the only Cats player to win four premierships.
The 34-year-old also holds the record for the most VFL/AFL finals matches played after passing Hawthorn champion Michael Tuck's mark of 39 finals in Saturday's Grand Final.
"This is actually probably a little bit easier for me today than probably what most people would think. About six weeks ago I decided that this would be it, that I'd finish my playing days at the Geelong footy club – win, lose or draw come the end of the year," Selwood said.
From Srathdale To Immortality: Selwood Calls Time
"It was a decision made amongst my manager, who I wanted to catch up with before round 23, we then decided as I got him to ask a few (players) as he's got a few of the current players on the list – Mitch (Duncan), Tom Hawkins, Tom Stewart, over the year to just see how I'm going and if I should move on.
"I then touched base with Paddy Dangerfield obviously to see how he thinks I'm going through background chats and they're as loyal people as you would get. They want me to play on, it's not going to be the case."
"He is a close friend, and a mentor, but it's difficult to articulate what it means to play alongside Joel, you just walk taller because he gives you so much confidence," Dangerfield said.
"So much of our success as a club over the last 10 years is because of him.
"If we all aimed to have a little bit of Joel in each of us the world would be a better place."
Geelong coach Chris Scott said Selwood was the best player he had ever seen.
"The thing that continually struck me about Joel was his ability to care for others and prioritise others," he said.
"When you take everything into consideration, he's the best player I've ever seen and the best representative of the Geelong footy club that you could possibly imagine.
"Even when the opportunity came for him to take a bit of the limelight his priority was to make sure that his decision didn't negatively impact anyone else."
Selwood was a star from his first game after being drafted at No.7 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft, winning the NAB AFL Rising Star award in his first year as the Cats romped to the 2007 premiership.
He also won flags in 2009 and 2011, but premiership success as captain eluded him until what ended up as his final game, the 2022 decider won in a canter against Sydney.
Selwood's emotion after kicking a final-quarter goal - and his teammates' jubilant reaction - gave a hint that the Grand Final was to be his last game, but he declined to address his future in the immediate aftermath of the match.
Selwood was a six-time All-Australian and was named captain of that team three times. He also won three 'Carji' Greeves medals as Geelong's best and fairest, and finished second in the 2013 Brownlow Medal behind former teammate Gary Ablett.
Selwood's Decorated Career
AFL Games: 355 (W259, L95, D1 - winning percentage 72.96 per cent)
AFL Goals: 175
Captaincy: 2012-2022 (245 games)
Career Averages: 24.7 disposals, 11.2 contested possessions, 5.1 tackles, 5.2 clearances
Brownlow Votes: 214 (No.7 in all-time rankings)
Honours: Premiership Player (2007, 2009, 2001, 2022), premiership captain (2022), six-time All-Australian (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 - captain, 2013, 2014, 2016), three-time club best and fairest (2010, 2013, 2014), AFL Rising Star (2007)
Records: most AFL finals games (40 - W22, L18), most games as captain (245)
