Latest news with #SelwoodBrothers
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The double tragedy of Adam and Troy Selwood led a famous Aussie to call for people to STOP celebrating the lives of people who commit suicide. But that misses something important, writes SHAYNE BUGDEN
When footy great Troy Selwood took his life in February, his death produced an outpouring of emotion from fans, and past and present stars, but none were as public or as raw as his funeral at the Geelong Cats' home ground. The Lions premiership-winner's brothers Joel, Scott and Adam poured their hearts out in front of the mourners - and now, just three months later, Joel, Scott and the rest of their family have been shattered by the unimaginable news that Adam is also gone, taken by his own hand. On Sunday, News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt wrote that his first reaction to the service for Troy was 'oh, no' because, in his view, celebrating the lives of those who have killed themselves adds to the 'devastation that suicides leave behind'. Bolt - who was at pains to point out that he was in no way criticising the two departed Selwood brothers - argued that there can't be any reasonable doubt that 'Troy's suicide helped to trigger Adam's'. He wrote that what 'scared' him about Troy's funeral was 'commemorating the dead as tragic souls we could have, should have, saved. Elevating the dead into tragic heroes of their own lives, to whom much was owed and from whom nothing better should have been expected.' Pointing to examples of how suicide can be 'socially contagious' as it causes a domino effect among those close to the departed, he wondered if Troy's death should now be remembered 'as not the end of great suffering, but the cause of even more'. News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt (pictured) has argued against commemorations like the one held for Troy, saying they celebrate the lives of suicides who leave devastation in their wake It's a stance that is plainly intended to help reduce the chances of these sorts of all-too-common tragedies occurring again - but I still think it misses the mark. I get how people could see the commemoration of household names like Troy and Adam - or other footy stars such as the NRL's Paul Green - as paying homage to people who have inflicted shattering suffering on the loved ones they leave behind. You only have to read footy fans' online reactions to Adam's death to realise many Aussies agree with that take. However, I get something very different out of the remembrances of stars like Troy, Adam, Danny Frawley, Shane Tuck... the list, sadly, just goes on and on. I find it hard to believe that anyone who takes their own life does so with a focus on hurting the people they leave behind. And when we pay tribute to them by recalling the love they had for others, the love they earned from friends and family, the huge impact they had on the lives of people they never even met, we remind ourselves precisely why suicides are so particularly awful. It's not just the pain of losing them, it's the pain of not knowing - never knowing - what they were going through. Unlike people who die of disease or through accidents or crimes or misadventure, no diagnosis, medical record or autopsy will ever reveal exactly what they were struggling with and how they tried to fight back against it. Refusing to pay tribute to what made Adam Selwood (pictured in 2020) so well loved wouldn't tell his full story, leaving the manner of his death to be the thing that defines him Which is why people who say suicide is the coward's way out, or say victims of suicide should not be made out to be 'tragic heroes' are missing something important. Who are we to guess what was going on in their heads when they did something nobody in their right mind would consider? Who is anyone to say that the dearly departed didn't put up a heroic fight against their demons? That they didn't battle bravely right to the end, enduring unknown horrors so they could spend that extra day, extra hour with their family, mates and teammates? So like Bolt, my reaction to services like the one held for Troy is 'oh, no' - but unlike Bolt, my dismay stems solely from the fact that the services are necessary, that the tragedies occurred in the first place. I'm not dismayed by the message those services can be seen to send: that if you take your own life, you'll be remembered kindly despite the devastation you leave in your wake. Whatever your view is about people who kill themselves, I don't think the way they died should be allowed to taint everything else they did in their life to the degree that it's not considered worthy of celebration. Adam and Troy Selwood deserve to be remembered for all the good they did, not in order to paint them as tragic heroes, but because doing so is what they deserve, and the only way to truly remember who they were and what they stood for. It's also a stark reminder to everyone who was touched by them that suicide is a uniquely devastating way for a life to end - and not just for those who live on to deal with the aftermath. Suicide is often stealthy beyond detection, the end result of an unseen battle that only one person ever knows the truth of. Now there are calls for Aussie sport and society as a whole to do more, care more, be more aware, ask more questions, to strive to see the signs before it's too late and we're confronted by another tragedy like Adam Selwood's. Perhaps re-living the things that make us miss people like Adam will fuel our desire to tackle the problem. Perhaps it won't.
ABC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
West Coast Eagles honour Adam Selwood and find a blueprint to winning — what we learned from round 10
Faced with the most tragic circumstances, the Eagles played with a level of spirit not seen so far this season. A bold coaching ploy unlocked Clayton Oliver and sparked Melbourne's season, while Essendon's defensive mettle failed a major test against the Bulldogs. Here's what we learned from Round 10 of the AFL season. The entire AFL community was plunged into sadness on Saturday after the death of Adam Selwood just months after his twin brother Troy took his own life. Between playing, mentoring and coaching in the league, there is barely a corner of the league untouched by the four Selwood brothers, including out west, where Adam played 187 games and won a premiership in 2018 with the Eagles. A pre-match tribute video before Sunday's game against St Kilda marked a sombre occasion at Perth Stadium, with anguish visible on faces across the cavernous arena, particularly that of Selwood's former teammate Patrick Cripps. What ensued was an inspirational performance from the first siren to the last from the Eagles; the kind of outing on which Selwood built his career. Matches in highly emotional environments usually go one of two ways: it either has a galvanising effect on the team, or can highlight how minor football feels in the grand scheme of things. For whatever reason, the Eagles turned in their best performance under Andrew McQualter, who would be thrilled by a true team effort. Brady Hough was the leading ball-winner on the ground with 24 touches, while the Eagles had 11 different goal-kickers. After a choppy start to his season, Harley Reid was influential in the Eagles getting the lead, kicking two goals and taking a towering mark over skipper Oscar Allen, who he then helped up. As the Saints threatened to steal it early in the fourth quarter, West Coast's veterans stood up. Tim Kelly, Jack Graham and Liam Baker were all influential, while Liam Ryan put the game to bed with two goals in as many minutes. One win doesn't immediately change West Coast's fortunes. The Eagles will suffer many more losses through the course of this season, but if they can get impactful performances across the park more regularly, the wins won't be so few and far between. After stumbling out to an 0-5 start, Melbourne's finals hopes are alive after four wins in its last five outings. The Demons faded in the final quarter last week against Hawthorn, but showed tremendous grit to overturn a three-quarter-time deficit against the Brisbane Lions in Brisbane to sit 4-6 and just a game outside the top eight. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was roundly criticised for playing Clayton Oliver as a tagger last week (even though he held his opponent Jai Newcombe to just 19 disposals), and Goodwin responded to the criticism by using Oliver the same way again. For some reason, the majority of AFL teams still refuse to use taggers, even though the use of one seems extremely beneficial on most occasions. Coaches prefer to back their midfield unit to outgun opposing midfield units, suggesting the deployment of a specialist tagger is basically an admission of your midfield group being weaker than your opponent's. Oliver didn't shut Neale out by tagging him — the Lions star still managed to pick up 30 disposals and six clearances — but playing the role of Neale's shadow seemed to remind Oliver that he is a prolific clearance player himself. This is one of the benefits of following around a prolific midfielder: you, too, get to be around the ball a whole lot. Oliver was a major beneficiary of this, picking up seven clearances, his equal-highest in a game since Round 4. Oliver brought the heat, recording a season-high 36 pressure acts against the Lions, but also proved damaging going the other way, recording season-highs in metres gained (364) and inside 50s (five). A slow start means Melbourne needs a lot to go right to make the eight. Getting the clearance machine version of Oliver back will go a long way to helping them achieve their goal. Saturday night's clash against the Western Bulldogs had all the makings of a big litmus test for Essendon, who had come into the game having strung a pretty good month together. What ensued was a reminder to the Bombers that there were still levels to go before they could mix it with some of the big boys in the league. The Bombers' energy and effort were good in the opening minutes, but once the Bulldogs kicked their first goal, the floodgates opened. Essendon had been one of the best defensive teams in the league in the last month by virtue of playing keepings off. The real test was always going to come without the ball, and the Dons were without the ball for a lot of the 91-point loss to the Dogs. Brad Scott's team ranks second in the league in disposals per game and third in marks per game. When they've got the ball, the Bombers slowly chip the ball around laterally before a better option opens up down the ground. Against the lesser teams in the league, where discipline is an issue, this is a strategy that works because eventually someone switches off and causes a breakdown in the defensive zone, allowing the Bombers to chip their way through. That didn't work against the Bulldogs. At one point in the second quarter, the Bulldogs had 36 disposals in their forward half of the ground for the quarter compared to the Bombers' zero in the same metric. It was like dying a slow death for the Bombers. Essendon is right in wanting to build a good defensive system — you don't win finals without being able to defend — but sometimes attack is the best form of defence, and the Bombers would be well-served to move the ball forward a little more rapidly. It is never a good result to lose by 91 points, but this might be one of those results that serves the Bombers well in the long run. The club has consistently preached a message of patience under Scott's tenure, now into its third year, and results like these show there are still several major steps that need to be made.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
AFL rocked by sudden death of Adam Selwood - just months after his twin brother Troy passed away in February
The AFL has been rocked by the death of Adam Selwood aged 41. One of four Selwood brothers to play AFL football, Selwood played 187 games for West Coast, winning a premiership in 2006. His wife Fiona Selwood said in a statement via the AFL: 'We are heartbroken by the passing of Adam earlier today. Words cannot express the grief and sadness we feel. 'Adam was a loving husband, and an incredible father to Lenny and Billie. We are devastated to lose such a wonderful husband, father, son and brother. 'We will miss Adam deeply — his spirit, his kindness, and the joy he brought to every room. 'His determination, the lessons he shared, and his infectious personality will stay with us always. 'Adam had a unique ability to make people feel special, and our family was lucky to experience that every day. 'We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult time.' The shattering news comes just months after Adam's twin brother Troy died in February.
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Selwood family rocked by second brother's shock death
The AFL has confirmed the tragic news former player Adam Selwood has died at age 41. One of four Selwood brothers to play AFL football, Selwood played 187 games for West Coast. He was part of the Eagles' premiership side that defeated the Sydney Swans in a classic grand final win in 2006. His wife Fiona Selwood said in a statement via the AFL: 'We are heartbroken by the passing of Adam earlier today. Words cannot express the grief and sadness we feel. 'Adam was a loving husband, and an incredible father to Lenny and Billie. We are devastated to lose such a wonderful husband, father, son and brother. 'We will miss Adam deeply — his spirit, his kindness, and the joy he brought to every room. 'His determination, the lessons he shared, and his infectious personality will stay with us always. Adam had a unique ability to make people feel special, and our family was lucky to experience that every day. 'We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate this difficult time.' The shattering news comes just months after Adam's twin brother Troy died in February. At a memorial service at Geelong's GMHBA Stadium, Adam led the tributes for his twin brother, describing Troy as 'full of life, full of love, full of wisdom beyond his years'. 'Having an identical twin is a both a rare privilege and wonderfully complex,' he said. 'A twin is more than a sibling. They are a constant presence, a built-in mate. 'He was my mirror, my fiercest competitor, my greatest ally and the one person who knew what I was always thinking.' All four Selwood brothers — Adam, Troy, Scott and Joel — played AFL football at the highest level.
