Troy Selwood farewelled at GMHBA Stadium in emotional tribute

Troy Selwood’s brothers all fought back tears as they paid tribute to a man whose identical twin Adam described as a “built-in best mate”.

Former Brisbane Lions player Troy died suddenly last week, aged 40, leaving the AFL world in shock.

He was remembered fondly by siblings Adam, Scott and Joel among family, friends and football figures at Friday’s memorial service at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium.

“Having an identical twin is both a rare privilege and wonderfully complex,” West Coast premiership player Adam said in his eulogy.

“A twin is more than a sibling, they are a constant presence, a built-in best mate and someone who understands you in a way that no-one ever could.

“Troy wasn’t just my brother; he was my mirror, my fiercest competitor, my greatest ally and the one person that knew what I was always thinking.

“Losing him has left a massive hole in my life.

“But in time, I know it will be filled with a different presence that will be just as special to me as I continue to move through life as his twin brother.”

The brothers recalled a childhood well spent in Bendigo, where backyard sporting battles were a major part of family life for a quartet who all went on to play football at the top level.

“If there wasn’t blood spilled by one of us boys during play, then it wasn’t played hard enough,” Adam said.

Younger brothers Scott and Joel spoke of the family’s pain, while also beaming with pride over Troy’s spirit.

“He was dealt some pretty tough cards over his lifetime,” Geelong premiership great Joel said.

“Some he found a way to deal with, but sadly there were others, no matter how hard he tried, he could never fully control – and he did try.

“He tried so hard. He put up a hell of a fight for mum and dad, for his kids, for his brothers, for his friends and for others that are fighting the same fight, just as he was.

“He fought for all of us. He wanted to keep fighting, as he always did in life, but in the end he simply couldn’t lift his arms to throw another punch back.

“He’ll be missed by so many.”

Troy played 75 AFL games for Brisbane, primarily as a hard-nosed tagger, before leading Geelong to a VFL premiership in 2012.

He spent more than a decade in the Cats’ AFL football department and most recently worked as head of football and sports performance at Geelong Grammar.

Former West Coast and Geelong midfielder Scott detailed Troy’s career, “unwavering competitive spirit”, also drawing laughs as he recalled Troy’s love of dim sims as a cheat meal, and the time his older brother almost started a fire when he fell asleep while steaming a batch.

The heartbreaking service included a poem and prayer read by Troy’s parents, Maree and Bryce.
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By Shayne Hope AAP

Photo credit: Michael Wilson / AFL Photos