Joel Selwood article

[Barabbas]

Great article on Joel Selwood in today's age. He's a freak. Interesting to read about his speed too. Apologies if it's already posted and for the slab of text.

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/hard-selwood/2007/08/31/1188067368443.html

Hard Selwood

Michael Gleeson | September 1, 2007

JOEL Selwood was eight when he played his first competitive game of football. Which is nothing exceptional, except the rest of the players on the ground were 12. He kicked three.
"(It was) a practice match but Joel had never played a game of football before and I think we were playing Sunbury or something and we were short, so he bobbed up in his first game as an eight-year-old playing against 12-year-olds and he kicked two or three goals off the forward flank," said Troy Selwood, one of Joel's older twin brothers now playing for the Brisbane Lions.
"And at that stage, you thought, 'Gee, he is going to be pretty good I think'. You could just see the determination he had from that very game."
Worried to look out for their little brother early on in the game, they put such trifling concerns away by quarter-time.
"I think we got a bit engrossed in our own games after we saw how he was going in the first quarter and we thought 'Well, you can look after yourself now'."
Learning to look after himself as the younger brother to talented twin brothers four years older came naturally to Joel. It had been a life's work.
"There was a big age gap there between us and Joel, but he was just a really enthusiastic kid growing up," Troy said.
"He always wanted to do what we were doing. I remember we were at VicKick back in the day and we were eight or nine learning how to kick on our left foot and here is Joel four or five years old, not only kicking on his right, but learning on his left as well because he wanted to do what his older brothers were doing. By the time he was eight or nine, he was nearly as proficient on his left as his right."
While pushing himself to play above his age naturally had its hazards with bigger boys to compete against, the greater problem was borne of actually being able to hold his own.
"He always had a fierce desire to achieve in his personality, even if it was having a kick across the road in the park with the boys five years older than him. He would come back home with a ripped shirt because he beat them," said his dad, Bryce Selwood. "They used to call him 'aggro'. He was very determined."
Despite his precocious talent, Joel did not play competitive football for a few years after that first experience partly because of the age structure of the Bendigo juniors at the time and partly because Bryce did not want his kids burning out with sport by being pushed along too early.

"Before he started playing football, he used to run the boundary for the twins' side. It was quite a good under-12 side, there were the twins, Nick Dal Santo and Rick Ladson in it," Bryce said. "I think that really helped him to learn to read the play. He knew if Adam gave it to Nick where it was going to go next and would run there."
Joel is the third of four sons. His older twin brothers, Adam and Troy, now play for West Coast and Brisbane respectively. Mercifully for the family, Joel was allowed by the luck of the draw to remain in Victoria and has emerged in his first year at Geelong as the favourite to win the Rising Star award this Wednesday. There is another brother at home, Scott, who after winning Vic Metro and All-Australian under-18 selection, also is likely to be drafted this year in the first two rounds.
Unlike his older brothers, Joel has pace. Though not explosive, he has a turn of pace that is reflected in his athletics background. He was a state hurdling champion from under 10s through to under 15s and in one year held every running and jumping record the Bendigo Sports Centre had, bar the 100 metres sprint.
Intriguingly, for one so athletic and naturally gifted in sports, Joel spent his early years overcoming a disability.
"He wore splints on his legs for about six to nine months when he was two to three years old. He was what they called an idiopathic toe walker, he used to run around on his toes. He would basically scrunch up and run on them," Bryce said. "So he wore these splints, which would basically make him land his foot and not walk on the toes.
"The only thing that annoyed him was he used to have to do squats to stretch his tendons and he would get annoyed with me asking him all the time if he had done them yet."
It is not an uncommon complaint among toddlers and young walkers, and was not something to trouble him in later years. Perhaps it said something of the determination in him that has even set him apart among a family of sportsmen.
"When he started playing in under 12s, a few years later, he was a dominant force in those games but he had this determination in his eyes, he was always out to achieve more. He knew himself he was a little bit better than everyone else but he was not going to just go through the motions," Troy said.
"Whatever he did he excelled at. We never played cricket as kids, we weren't cricketers, but he filled in for his mate's team one day and he ended up making 86 not out and that was his one and only game. He sat on the offstump all day and just hooked them. I don't think there were even any fielders on the off side."

Plainly a sportsman of unnatural ability, more appealing to Bryce was that the boys displayed a generosity of spirit equal to their competitive desire.
Troy said his mum recalled the day Joel decided it was time a young teammate kicked his first goal. The young player had a heart disease that limited his ability but he was a part of the team placed in a forward pocket.
"This one day, Joel was just so determined to make sure this kid kicked his first goal in footy, he bypassed the centre half-forward 15 or 20 times in the game and just kept kicking it to this kid with the heart disease and finally he got it in his arms and kicked his first goal. We weren't sure who was more excited — the kid who kicked his first goal or Joel."
Bryce recalled a similar occasion on the basketball court when a young teammate finally scored his first goal and the entire team stopped to mob the player and cared little that the opposition was busy scoring at the other end.
Joel and Troy will play one another on the field as Geelong and Brisbane opponents this evening. It will be one of the increasingly common occasions of divided loyalties for the family.
"I knew he had the work ethic to get into the senior side early, but having said that, I didn't think he would be able … (to) perform at AFL level the whole year and consistently play great footy in a side playing so well," Troy said.
"I played him early in the year and I was looking forward to it because it took Adam and myself a long time to play against each other so I was surprised to be able to play against Joel so early in his career.
"You just treat him like any other player — like we did when he was eight, I suppose — but even in that first game we played, he cut us apart down at Kardinia Park. He was just fantastic."
He was surprised, but not shocked. With Joel, it has always been like that.

 

[FTW_]

Good article.
I had no idea about this...

Intriguingly, for one so athletic and naturally gifted in sports, Joel spent his early years overcoming a disability.
"He wore splints on his legs for about six to nine months when he was two to three years old. He was what they called an idiopathic toe walker, he used to run around on his toes. He would basically scrunch up and run on them," Bryce said. "So he wore these splints, which would basically make him land his foot and not walk on the toes.

 

[kendall_cedric]

It's just a matter of time until he becomes captain of Geelong.

 

[Slick Dog Johnson]

Good article.
I had no idea about this...

Nor did I, except I did notice he has a rather odd running style. Probably related.

 

[scottydeewah]

The thing I love about him. All the other young draftees talk about being awed and just wanting to learn and get better. Whilst Joel has gone straight in and thrown his body and mouth around like he is a veteran. It is plain wrong the way he has acted and conducted himself on the ground this year. He was putting on Shepard's, putting himself under packs and possibly his best game was in the wet where he was in and under all day.

He is having the best season I have ever seen of a first year player.

 

[Sean Sheep]

The thing I love about him. All the other young draftees talk about being awed and just wanting to learn and get better. Whilst Joel has gone straight in and thrown his body and mouth around like he is a veteran. It is plain wrong the way he has acted and conducted himself on the ground this year. He was putting on Shepard's, putting himself under packs and possibly his best game was in the wet where he was in and under all day.

He is having the best season I have ever seen of a first year player.

Couldn't agree more with that!

 

[thegerman]

The thing I love about him. All the other young draftees talk about being awed and just wanting to learn and get better. Whilst Joel has gone straight in and thrown his body and mouth around like he is a veteran. It is plain wrong the way he has acted and conducted himself on the ground this year. He was putting on Shepard's, putting himself under packs and possibly his best game was in the wet where he was in and under all day.

He is having the best season I have ever seen of a first year player.

Agree also. We are extremely lucky to have him at the club, could have gone higher in the draft, in fact that he 'should' have.

What I love about the Cats is our recruiting has been fantastic in the last 3-5 years. Sure there is some guys that everyone will bring up, however we have a really good core of young guys who aren't superstars of the game (not helped by not picking up the #1 pick), but are really great people on a personal level.

It is great to see the club develop like this. Our recruiters should be given a massive pat on the back. Stephen Wells is a legend.

 

[Furious_G]

Agree our recruiting is what has helped keep Bomber in a job where Frawley and Schwab could not. Not saying he isn't a good coach, but there was a big difference in the drafting styles between the clubs.

As for the topic, I like the little things like being a boundary rider helped him develop play-reading skills. And helping other players get in the game or reach a milestone. All matches another artcile on him about 4 months ago about his junior captaining skills always being about making other players feel important to the game.

Class act all the way. Well done Mr and Mrs Selwood on an awesome job raising an outstandingly level headed young man.

 

[bulletproof]

Class act all the way. Well done Mr and Mrs Selwood on an awesome job raising an outstandingly level headed young man.

Lets not get carried away, the kid knows how to put his head over the pill and distribute, doesn't exactly make him Young Australian of the Year.

 

[winty]

21 possessions and 8 clearances to 3/4 time after starting on the bench. Absolute gun.

 

[Furious_G]

Lets not get carried away, the kid knows how to put his head over the pill and distribute, doesn't exactly make him Young Australian of the Year.

Just trying to put a positive spin on some of the youth in our competition, when the media is focusing on the negative. On the face of it, he appears to be someone that can handle the AFL life without the need for "confidence boosters"

But yes, maybe a bit over the top, but the kid is a gun!

 

[FTW_]

It's pretty cool how we've got Adam Selwood playing for us too!

Like the Lions' Fab Four, Geelong's midfield rotation of Corey Enright, Joel Corey, Paul Chapman, James Kelly, Ablett, Adam Selwood and Cameron Ling had no real standout, but they averaged 23 possessions apiece, and between them kicked six goals.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

He had a really noticeable impact on his return to the side. The guy is a football freak and thoroughly deserves to be the Rising Star.

 

[Herbs]

Lets not get carried away, the kid knows how to put his head over the pill and distribute, doesn't exactly make him Young Australian of the Year.

Ahem, if Lleyton Hewitt can get such an award (I think it was Young Aussie of the year?) Then the bar isn't exactly high for positive personality.

 

[Pedro the Lion]

Absolute gun! Seeing him in the flesh for the first time last night I was surprised at just how hard at the ball he is. Will be very interesting to see who emerges as the greatest player from this draft. At this stage I'm still too excited about our Berger with the lot to be bitter, but you can lock Joel in as a midfield general for the next decade. Hope they tie for a Brownlow one day. Top drafting guys and best of luck in September.

 

[Selwood07]

Interesting to have read that and then watch him - it's been said elsewhere that he is the best of the 4 boys - he was outstanding last night. What about the handballs over to running players, not wild ones to no-one in particular as we often see - this boy is a top class player.

 

[Barabbas]

I think it's really interesting to compare his story to Gibbs'. Where Gibbs had his dad coaching him, constantly pusing him to be better. Selwood's folks were trying to hold him back, with his own fierce desire pushing him.

I know which I'd prefer.

 

[cancat]

While pushing himself to play above his age naturally had its hazards with bigger boys to compete against, the greater problem was borne of actually being able to hold his own.
"He always had a fierce desire to achieve in his personality, even if it was having a kick across the road in the park with the boys five years older than him. He would come back home with a ripped shirt because he beat them," said his dad, Bryce Selwood. "They used to call him 'aggro'. He was very determined."

Haven't we been looking for a nickname for him?

 

[Barabbas]

Haven't we been looking for a nickname for him?

Twins?

 

[Hoops]

I will be putting the #14 on my 4yo sons new footy Jumper and hopefully he will be able to wear (if he wants) that number on every cats footy jumper he gets throghout his childhood.


"Before he started playing football, he used to run the boundary for the twins' side. It was quite a good under-12 side, there were the twins, Nick Dal Santo and Rick Ladson in it,"
BTW My brother played for this side.