As Joel Selwood reaches another record as having captained the most AFL games, thoughts inevitably turn to the question of: just how good is this guy?
Sports fans are obsessed with comparing players. This can be a challenging art in the AFL, as players from different eras played in wildly different iterations of football.
Today’s superstars are the dominant goalkicking ‘bull’ midfielders. The superstars of yesteryear were the big, strong goalkicking full forwards in an era of open football and high scores.
On-field impact is the main forum in which AFL players can fully express themselves.
Selwood is a perfect example of this. He is a born on-field leader, leading by example and by words to show his teammates the way. Despite all measures intended on giving all each side an equal chance at success, Selwood has led Geelong to buck this trend and embark on one of the longest sustained periods of success in AFL history.
So, in the interests of appreciating what Selwood has so far achieved over his illustrious career I pose the question – Just how good is Joel Selwood?
In terms of the raw numbers, Selwood has played 336 games and polled 210 Brownlow votes. He has won a myriad of awards, including three Geelong best and fairests, six All-Australian jumpers (three as captain), the 2007 AFL Rising Star, four AFLPA Most Courageous Player Awards and an AFLPA Best Captain Award to go along with three premierships.
His average of 0.62 Brownlow votes per game ranks him amongst illustrious company as the 26th highest votes-per-game accumulator.
This is clearly an outstanding career, but how does it compare to some of his great peers?
First cabs off the rank are two of Selwood’s teammates in Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett Jnr.
Both players are Brownlow winners and both have illustrious achievements to match Selwood’s. Dangerfield has played 287 AFL games for 236 votes, meaning an average of 0.82 votes per game, while Ablett Jnr played 357 AFL games for 262 votes at 0.73 per game. Dangerfield and Ablett Jnr have also been awarded best on ground 51 and 55 times by the umpires respectively, compared to Selwood’s 36.
Outside of his contemporaries at Geelong, other midfielders among the league's top echelon include Nat Fyfe, Chris Judd and Dustin Martin. Again, all three have received similar awards to Selwood. Fyfe has played 202 games for 187 votes at 0.92 per game, Judd played 279 games for 210 votes at 0.75, while Martin has played 261 games for 202 votes at 0.77. All three have also earned more best on ground votes from the umpires as well.
These numbers all point to an uncomfortable question – is Selwood anywhere near the other great midfielders and players of his generation?
The answer is an emphatic yes.
Selwood has accumulated the wide collection of recognitions and awards outlined already, as well as one of the best Brownlow vote averages in the history of our game.
What sets Selwood apart, however, isn’t anything that can be quantified using data and statistics. What sets him apart is his genuinely fearless attack on the ball and on the player.
It’s his constant ability to push through pain and injury to complete matches, often sporting a bandage around his head as he’s copped yet another blow to the head. It’s his ability to take charge of a team full of legends of our game at the tender age of 23 and lead them with aplomb across an era of success at Geelong. It’s his ability to identify when his team needs him most and to stand up in those moments.
I spoke above that these days players can only really express themselves on the field. Selwood is perhaps the best example of that. He is a streetfighter, someone who will go to whatever lengths necessary to achieve success for himself and his team.
He embodies qualities that have largely been removed from society in recent years – yet we love him for it. Sometimes abrasive, aggressive, fierce and competitive, yet sportsmanlike and respectful, Selwood balances his approach to footy with his sheer will to win.
Selwood also stands as a lesson that sometimes the numbers don’t tell the full story. Often, he wasn’t even the best midfielder and player in his team – let alone across the competition. But he was always something more than just an individual player – he is a captain and a leader.
As AFL fans I think we should recognise the value of players and appreciate them for what they are rather than engaging in largely irrelevant debates around which player is slightly better than another.
Selwood is a testament to this: his numbers are lower than his contemporaries, yet he stands comfortably amongst the very best that our game has produced.
Let’s enjoy watching him while we can.