Toast The Joel Selwood Stand

[Shell]

To Joel

 

[MacStradbroke]

But if that was the criteria very few football players would be selected for anything.

Clearly it was the criteria on this occasion though.

 

[allrighty]

As a player totally agree Partridge
However as a package of player/ leader/ mentor/ ambassador he really stands apart and thoroughly deserves this honour IMHO

Great point. Agree on GAS miles above anyone ever in my lifetime of 65+, maybe ever. But JS had the package, my question was the timing.

It's academic really as the decision has been made.

From my OP maybe Polly Farmer would be an option for lots of reasons, and for me having lived in remote aboriginal NT for a year a year ago it strikes a chord

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

GAS will never be surpassed in footy ability IMO... he just did s**t that no other player has done or could do.. and not kjsut that he did it... but he did it over and over and over thruhis 15 odd years. Different grounds, different types of games, differnt positions and differnt opponets all got to see GAS in full flight.

But he wasn't the greatest person and didnt make the best decisions - and all humans make mistakes... but Sel definitely rises to the top when the sum of the parts are added up.

But ill still watch GAS highlights over any other player any time - and die happier knowing I say a lot of that mofo live.

GO Catters

Amen dazbroncos
We moved here from Melbourne in 1999 so I was fortunate enough to see his whole career and went live whenever I could.
From a skinny winger with electric pace to the immovable mountain in front of goals no one comes close to the aura he had on the field.
Drew crowds just to say they’d seen him live.
He’s the MJ of VFL : AFL in my mind

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

GMHBA STADIUMS NEW STAND OFFICIALLY NAMED

By: Lincoln Holmes
Date: 24/11/2023

The new grandstand being built as part of the $142 million Stage 5 Redevelopment of Kardinia Park will be named after Geelong Football Club legend Joel Selwood, who retired this year following a stellar 16-year career.

Selwood, who holds the club record for most games played (355) and most games as captain (245), led the Cats to four AFL premierships and became one of the most respected and admired players in the league. His name will be immortalised at the stadium, where he played many of his memorable matches, with the new grandstand to be called the Joel Selwood Stand.

The announcement was made today by Gerard Griffin, CEO of Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, who welcomed the decision to honour the retired champion. "As the Stage 5 redevelopment approaches conclusion, the names announced today formalise the 23-year redevelopment of the stadium. We look forward to the future events we will be able to host using this multi-purpose venue managed on behalf of and for the regional community of Victoria," Griffin said.

Another highlight of the redevelopment will be the new Djilang Plaza, recognising the traditional Wadawurrung name for the region, with Kardinia Park being a place of gathering for Wadawurrung People for thousands of years.Facing Moorabool Street, outside Gate 1 at the northern end of the stadium, Djilang Plaza will welcome thousands of spectators to the venue every year, helping spread stories of Wadawurrung.

Geelong Cricket Club assets such as the Bruce Moore Stand, Merriman Balcony and the Philip Marshall Stand will all retain their previous names.

The naming process, led by Kardinia Park Stadium Trust, involved significant consultation with key stakeholders, including the general public, Geelong Football Club and the community, while working closely with Geographic Names Victoria.

Construction on the redevelopment, managed and delivered by the Trust, continues, and once complete will secure the venue's status as Australia's best regional stadium and complete the ground's transformation. Works include a new grandstand increasing the overall stadium capacity to 40,000, northern entry plaza, the Geelong Sports Museum, indoor cricket hub, function rooms and a suite of technology upgrades. It will mean patrons can enjoy world-class facilities all year round with the venue set to host a packed schedule of sport and entertainment events, which makes Kardinia Park so important to Geelong and the entire region.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

They all pale behind Ablett senior as far as I'm concerned. By a long, long way.

Hes essentially the best player weve ever had and probably in the top 3 or 4 to play the game league wide but when it comes to leadership hes not there. Its why selwood had the stand named after him as when it comes to leadership selwood is one of the best 3 or 4 geelong has ever had-hes right at the top of the tree.

 

[Mr Meow]

They all pale behind Ablett senior as far as I'm concerned. By a long, long way.

You've watched a lot of footy.

Out of interest who are your top 5 Cats as

a) Players
b) Leaders

Selwood ranking quite highly on both makes him (relatively) unique, with respect to the many outstanding players and leaders we've had over the years.

 

[dangerwood]

They all pale behind Ablett senior as far as I'm concerned. By a long, long way.

I get that in terms of the on field spectacle but what about as a person and the effort both on and off the field? Doesn't Joel just encompass everything you can be proud of?

I don't know..... I'll sound like a w***er but I've been lucky enough to see some of Joel Selwood as a person off field and I don't know how the captain of the club, with so many people wanting a piece of him finds the time and willingness to reach out to some of the people that he does. He has his own family/challenges to take care of......he just represents everything I'm proud of and I will take so much joy from sitting in or across from "the Joel Selwood stand".

 

[FredLeDeux]

You've watched a lot of footy.

Out of interest who are your top 5 Cats as

a) Players
b) Leaders

Selwood ranking quite highly on both makes him (relatively) unique, with respect to the many outstanding players and leaders we've had over the years.

Farmer was a better player, and at least as good an on-field leader.

 

[Mr Meow]

Farmer was a better player, and at least as good an on-field leader.

Farmer was a bit before my time but is one I'd have expected. Any others top 5/10 for both?

 

[Pods]

GAS will never be surpassed in footy ability IMO... he just did s**t that no other player has done or could do.. and not kjsut that he did it... but he did it over and over and over thruhis 15 odd years. Different grounds, different types of games, differnt positions and differnt opponets all got to see GAS in full flight.

But he wasn't the greatest person and didnt make the best decisions - and all humans make mistakes... but Sel definitely rises to the top when the sum of the parts are added up.

But ill still watch GAS highlights over any other player any time - and die happier knowing I say a lot of that mofo live.

GO Catters

Nailed it

 

[uranium_death]

Cook being at Carlton rules him out for me.

By that logic, Cook could never do right, as he was CEO of West Coast when they defeated Geelong in 1992 and 1994...

I personally think the Cook-Costa connection needs to be recognised way more than it is.
By the time Costa stood down as President, the club's branding had changed, the stadium was on its way to being modernised, the club's finances were completely managed responsibly, the team had on-field success, the team off-field was stable as a rock, and there has been no in-fighting that permeated beyond the walls

Irrespective of whether he's at Carlton or not, Brian Cook's contribution to the club can never be ignored for such trivial reasons.

The club had its arse out of its pants in 1999. 7 million in debt, a crumbling stadium, a coach the players didn't like, a captain that left for "greener pastures", and crappo membership numbers.

The short, medium and long-term planning required for all of this to happen would have been monumental and although many were involved, Cook would have been the major architect behind all of that. Costa would also have played a role in that.

The cultural change and mindset of the club from a regional football club that enjoys itself and isn't one of the big boys to a club that always aims to be the best in every way (including professionalism) has been monumental.

For mine, the Cook-Costa stand would be a suitable tribute for two people that completely revolutionised the club like never before and unless things absolutely go to pot again, never again, we hope...

 

[Sttew]

By that logic, Cook could never do right, as he was CEO of West Coast when they defeated Geelong in 1992 and 1994...

I personally think the Cook-Costa connection needs to be recognised way more than it is.
By the time Costa stood down as President, the club's branding had changed, the stadium was on its way to being modernised, the club's finances were completely managed responsibly, the team had on-field success, the team off-field was stable as a rock, and there has been no in-fighting that permeated beyond the walls

Irrespective of whether he's at Carlton or not, Brian Cook's contribution to the club can never be ignored for such trivial reasons.

The club had its arse out of its pants in 1999. 7 million in debt, a crumbling stadium, a coach the players didn't like, a captain that left for "greener pastures", and crappo membership numbers.

The short, medium and long-term planning required for all of this to happen would have been monumental and although many were involved, Cook would have been the major architect behind all of that. Costa would also have played a role in that.

The cultural change and mindset of the club from a regional football club that enjoys itself and isn't one of the big boys to a club that always aims to be the best in every way (including professionalism) has been monumental.

For mine, the Cook-Costa stand would be a suitable tribute for two people that completely revolutionised the club like never before and unless things absolutely go to pot again, never again, we hope...

More than happy to recognise him, just not having a major structure named after him. Just my opinion.

What he did for Geelong was nothing short of magnificent, but Cook is a career executive.

It's a moot point for now as the decision has been made. Do you disagree with the new stand being named after Joel?

 

[Pods]

By that logic, Cook could never do right, as he was CEO of West Coast when they defeated Geelong in 1992 and 1994...

I personally think the Cook-Costa connection needs to be recognised way more than it is.
By the time Costa stood down as President, the club's branding had changed, the stadium was on its way to being modernised, the club's finances were completely managed responsibly, the team had on-field success, the team off-field was stable as a rock, and there has been no in-fighting that permeated beyond the walls

Irrespective of whether he's at Carlton or not, Brian Cook's contribution to the club can never be ignored for such trivial reasons.

The club had its arse out of its pants in 1999. 7 million in debt, a crumbling stadium, a coach the players didn't like, a captain that left for "greener pastures", and crappo membership numbers.

The short, medium and long-term planning required for all of this to happen would have been monumental and although many were involved, Cook would have been the major architect behind all of that. Costa would also have played a role in that.

The cultural change and mindset of the club from a regional football club that enjoys itself and isn't one of the big boys to a club that always aims to be the best in every way (including professionalism) has been monumental.

For mine, the Cook-Costa stand would be a suitable tribute for two people that completely revolutionised the club like never before and unless things absolutely go to pot again, never again, we hope...

Agree with this (excluding stand) but recognition is worthwhile for sure.

 

[uranium_death]

More than happy to recognise him, just not having a major structure named after him. Just my opinion.

What he did for Geelong was nothing short of magnificent, but Cook is a career executive.

It's a moot point for now as the decision has been made. Do you disagree with the new stand being named after Joel?

Personally, I was never a big Joel fan in isolation. However, there are many reasons and they're right
As an ambassador, Joel is squeaky clean and therefore a suitable choice

I just never got in on the Joel Selwood love-in

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Personally, I was never a big Joel fan in isolation. However, there are many reasons and they're right
As an ambassador, Joel is squeaky clean and therefore a suitable choice

I just never got in on the Joel Selwood love-in

Well he was fearless on the field wasn't he? Never a backward step. See ball. Get ball. Bleed. He's what you'd want in a leader.

 

[lettheboysplay]

Cook being at Carlton rules him out for me.

So going by your logic, should we remove Junior too?

Brian Cook turned our club around. Man deserves all the plaudits.

 

[lettheboysplay]

But if that was the criteria very few football players would be selected for anything.

Pls. You know what Senior did was far and away worse than the vast majority of players who have minor indiscretions on their record. Luke Hodge being done for drink driving doesn't even come close to being comparable to Ablett negligently feeding a young woman drugs that caused her to overdose then lying about what the drugs were - and she was 19 years old, he was 39...

 

[4quarter_cat]

Congrats on this to Joel. Gates (Ablett), bays (Harley, Ling), rooms (Costa) etc can be named after others but he will likely tower above all for a long time at GFC, and this is a great way to honour him. And far better to do it before he is dead (RIP Warnie).

Still recon I'd be pissed if I was a member of great Southern Family.

 

[Sttew]

So going by your logic, should we remove Junior too?

Brian Cook turned our club around. Man deserves all the plaudits.

As I posted earlier I am more than happy to honour Cook in another way but not having his name on a stand. He is a career executive. He did an amazing job at Geelong and is now steering Carlton towards a long awaited premiership.

 

[lettheboysplay]

As I posted earlier I am more than happy to honour Cook in another way but not having his name on a stand. He is a career executive. He did an amazing job at Geelong and is now steering Carlton towards a long awaited premiership.

Fair point. I recommend James Button's book, which really delved into detail about the brilliance of Cook as an executive. Carlton can go and get stuffed though.

 

[Partridge]

More than happy to recognise him, just not having a major structure named after him. Just my opinion.

What he did for Geelong was nothing short of magnificent, but Cook is a career executive.

It's a moot point for now as the decision has been made. Do you disagree with the new stand being named after Joel?

Yes. Far too soon for one thing. And Ablett having only a terrace named after him is absolutely ludicrous.

 

[Partridge]

You've watched a lot of footy.

Out of interest who are your top 5 Cats as

a) Players
b) Leaders

Selwood ranking quite highly on both makes him (relatively) unique, with respect to the many outstanding players and leaders we've had over the years.

Players
a) Gary Ablett senior

<daylight>

b) Gary Ablett junior
c) Garry Hocking
d) Matthew Scarlett
e) Corey Enright

We've had a lot of very good players. During the recent premiership era/s, and before it - Corey, Selwood, David Clarke (only saw the tail end of), Dangerfield just below that. If Greg Williams had played more than two seasons with Geelong he'd be number 2 for certain. As a midfielder he's better than anyone I've seen except Ablett junior.

Leaders
a) Tom Harley
b) Joel Selwood
c) Cameron Ling
d) Garry Hocking
e) Damian Bourke

Leaders for me are far more difficult to assess, compounded by a bizarre fact - aside from Selwood, we've never had a captain for more than 4 years in a row since Reg Hickey prior to World War II. So we haven't had a lot of long term leaders to look at. And as Harley's appointment underlined we really have no idea who the best leaders are beforehand, and it isn't automatically the best player.

 

[Sttew]

Yes. Far too soon for one thing. And Ablett having only a terrace named after him is absolutely ludicrous.

Opportunity presented. The club probably won’t build another stand for generations. I liken it to Joel being offered the team captaincy at 22. “Too young” many said, just like “too soon” naming the new stand after a 4 time premiership player, club game record holder and longest serving captain?