The football world has been left reeling by the sudden death of Troy Selwood.
The AFL confirmed via a statement from the Selwood family that the former Brisbane player and Geelong VFL premiership captain died this (Tuesday) morning.
“Troy was a much loved and loving member of our family,” the statement said.
“Over the course of his life, Troy brought joy and light to all who knew him. He was a loving son of Maree and Bryce, a supportive and caring brother to Adam, Joel and Scott, and a doting father of beautiful children Tom and Sadie.
“We will miss Troy’s bravery, his humour, his deep thinking, his love and compassion. Troy had a generosity of spirit, cared deeply about people and strove to make the lives of others better.
“We are grateful to all those that have supported Troy throughout his life, and we know that his many friends, teammates and colleagues will miss him greatly.”
Selected by the Brisbane Lions from the Bendigo Pioneers with pick 19 in the 2002 National Draft, Selwood played 75 games before being delisted at the end of 2010.
He joined younger brother Joel at Geelong in 2011, signing with the Cats’ VFL team, where he was appointed captain.
Geelong won the 2012 premiership and finished runner-up in 2013, with Selwood retiring following the loss to Box Hill Hawks.
Following his retirement, he fulfilled numerous off-field roles at the Cats, including football operations, academy manager, and talent ID manager, before taking a recruiting role at Collingwood.
After a short stint with the Magpies, stepping down due to health issues, he was appointed head of football and sports performance mentor at Geelong Grammar.
“Troy achieved many great things in his life,” the Selwoods said.
“From his time as a young man and student, to his journey as an AFL player, to working in recruiting young players to help live their AFL dreams to his latest passion and adventure at Geelong Grammar School, Troy was able to influence and touch the lives of so many people.”
Geelong CEO Steve Hocking says Selwood’s passing “has had a deep impact on many current and former players and staff”.
“Troy had a great spirit and energy and was someone who always cared about others,” Hocking added.
“He had a passion for working with young people and helping them achieve their dreams of playing elite football.”
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon also paid tribute.
“Troy was an incredible advocate for AFL talent pathways programs both in his role as a club recruiter and more recently during his time at Geelong Grammar,” he said.
“He demonstrated a core purpose to always place the needs of young players first and created environments where they could be themselves.
“Troy always brought a sense of positivity, humour and care to the recruiting and talent development process and will be sadly missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to work with him.”
Selwood was also a valued member of the K rock Football commentary team, first joining as an expert in 2011.
He served in the role until 2019 before rejoining in 2024.
“On behalf of Geelong Broadcasters, I send the deepest level of care and support to the Selwood family and all who loved Troy,” General Manager Rachel Patterson said.
“He was an incredibly talented and valued member of our K rock Football call team, and he will be sorely missed in the building and on the airwaves.”
Troy Selwood was 40.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing personal problems, please reach out to one of the following:
Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au
Headspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au
X: @krockfootball
