CHAMPION Geelong Cats player Joel Selwood has been named the Bendigo Sports Star of the month for July.<\/p>\n
From running around as a nine-year-old for St Therese\u2019s Maroon in the Bendigo Junior Football League, to playing for the Bendigo Pioneers and being named in the All-Australian team after the Under-18 National Championships in 2005, Selwood\u2019s remarkable career got its start in Bendigo.<\/p>\n
While a knee injury saw him managing just three games for the Pios in 2006, falling from a potential first pick to seventh in the AFL draft, however he was selected by his favoured club, Geelong.<\/p>\n
Selwood was the third of his family to make the AFL, following brothers Adam and Troy, but the first to be drafted to the family\u2019s home state.<\/p>\n
Since then, he has gone on to win three premierships, six All-Australian nominations, and three team best-and-fairests.<\/p>\n
One of the Geelong greats, he is the team\u2019s games record holder with 352 games, averages just under 25 disposals per game and has the most tackles in AFL history.<\/p>\n
He will equal Michael Tuck\u2019s record for finals played if the Cats make the preliminary final.<\/p>\n
Since 2012 he has captained Geelong and he has led his team to a finals series every year except one, however premiership glory has alluded Geelong during this time.<\/p>\n
Minor premiers this year, the Cats will be firm favourites for the flag heading into the final\u2019s series.<\/p>\n
Selwood will lead the team out against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, 3 September for the first qualifying final.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CHAMPION Geelong Cats player Joel Selwood has been named the Bendigo Sports Star of the month for July. From running around as a nine-year-old for St Therese\u2019s Maroon in the Bendigo Junior Football League, to playing for the Bendigo Pioneers and being named in the All-Australian team after the Under-18 National Championships in 2005, Selwood\u2019s […]<\/p>\n