2010 Brownlow Player Preview: Joel Selwood

Name: Joel Selwood
Club: Geelong
2009 Brownlow Performance: 8th
Total Votes: 16
Total Votes Breakdown, 3 2 1:
3, 2, 3
Predicted 2010 Brownlow Finish: 3-4 **SMOKEY ALERT**
Brownlow Odds: $17 (Courtesy of TAB)

I must admit, that despite being a massive Carlton fan, for me Selwood is one of those opposition players that you can't help but have a softspot for. To put it simply, i reckon he is currently one of the classiest young footballers to play the game, and with the no-nonsense way he goes about his footy, how can you not jump on board the Selwood express?!

One of the most pleasing aspects of his game is his sheer hardness for the ball, which was demonstrated quite comprehensively last year with his ferocious tackling; having laid a massive 118 tackles for the season, at an average of 4.7 a game! But the most important stat associated with this is the fact he received 59 free kicks as reward for his tireless efforts - ranking number 1 in the league for Free Kicks For. Having taken that stat into account you would have assumed Selwood also topped the table in Tackles, as these two stats would virtually go hand in hand, yeah? However, to much surprise he actually finished 12th in tackles, which indicates to me that the umpires are devoting close attention to Selwood's game and are rewarding his style of play. As a result, there is every chance he would quite easily stick in their minds post-match when they are writing up their respective Brownlow votes.

Based upon this factor alone, if Selwood can take develop his game even further i believe that Selwood is every chance of winning the Brownlow in 2010. But of course there remains one thing that stands in his path: G. Ablett.

If you compare both Ablett and Selwood, Ablett had him covered for nearly each game they played in concurrently. The most comprehensive stat of all is the fact that in the first 6 rounds Selwood failed to score a solitary vote, whereas Ablett scored 12. But that doesn't paint the entire picture, as some would've judged it a little harsh that Selwood didn't score (particularly in Rounds 4-6), given that he didn't have such a bad start to the season. The simple fact was Ablett just had a herculean first few rounds.

However, on the other side of things, in 2 of the 3 games that Ablett missed, Selwood received 1 and 3 votes in the respective matches. This loosely suggests that he is one of the few players the umpires are willing to give their votes to in the absence of Gazza. If Ablett wasn't playing in the same team as Selwood, i'd say he would have a greater chance at winning the medal. So perhaps if it's not his year this year, then perhaps, it'll be in the next couple if Gary does decide to take up the tantalizing Gold Coast offer. ;)

But still, don't discount Selwood, as he reminds me of a young Judd in his first few years when many doubted if it was at all possible he could get any better than what he was. Personally, he was a smokey of mine last year, and he is once again for 2010.