AFL icon Joel Selwood has finally addressed rumors he will join the Australian cricket team in England to help them win the Ashes next month, after sparking a firestorm of speculation by revealing that he will meet with coach in March Andrew McDonald had spoken.
The newly retired Cats great revealed that “local Geelong lad” McDonald “has been in touch for a while” as he announced he and partner Brit would be in Europe when the series kicks off from June 16.
‘She [the Aussie team] are in a similar position to where the Cats are – they have a lot of guys coming towards the end of their careers and maybe finding their way for the next few years,” he explained at the time.
Selwood stunned AFL fans by taking a position with the NRL’s Melbourne Storm shortly after he retired from footy, and his comments about cricket led many to believe another shocking code change was in the works for the four-time premiership winner.
However, he told Daily Mail Australia exclusively that the rumors aren’t just wrong – they’re completely unfounded.
“That’s not true – there’s no truth to it at all,” he said.
Selwood (pictured with his wife Brit and their baby boy Joey) will be in England while the Ashes are underway, and has spoken to Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald – but that’s the closest he’ll get to helping the national team win the urn to keep
The Cats legend had the best possible end to his playing career as he led Geelong to a grand final demolition of Sydney last year (pictured)
‘We [he and Brit] go abroad on Sunday, but it is only a public holiday. We are going to Spain, France and then to London for a long period of time.’
Many AFL fans still can’t fathom why the 34-year-old decided to help the Storm when every club in the league was eager to secure his services – and he was candid when asked how his teammates reacted to the news.
“They were pretty shocked — I mean, I was pretty shocked myself,” Selwood admitted.
“The opportunity was too great to work around the Storm, they have values that match mine.
“It was more about the people, about jumping in and working with Frank [Ponissi, general manager] and Craig [Bellamy, coach]see how they’ve been at the top for so long.’
Asked if he has learned anything from the Storm that he wishes he knew in his playing time at Geelong, Selwood pointed out a huge difference between the two clubs.
The chance to work with Storm coach Craig Bellamy (pictured) at the NRL club was too good to turn down – but Selwood admitted he even shocked himself with the code switch
Joey’s arrival has thrown Selwood’s training routines into chaos, but he still looks fit enough to run out for a game of footy – something he hasn’t ruled out in the future
“It’s been very different – I played for Geelong and most of our games have been in Melbourne, but the Storm have to travel every two weeks so it’s a very different schedule,” he said.
“They have to take care of their bodies during the week, so there’s a lot of work to do to keep up with that.
“The Storm has a lot of great people running their program, which is great to see.”
Taking care of himself has also changed dramatically for the former Cats skipper, who revealed the biggest change in his life now that he’s no longer a professional athlete.
‘I exercise a lot less, but I have to blame that [baby son] Joey more than anyone else,” he joked.
‘I used to exercise for hours every day, now it’s 20 minutes when I get the chance.
‘It’s completely different. I would like to exercise more.’
The Australian cricket team celebrate their victory in the Ashes series after the fifth Test in Hobart in January
Selwood took such good care of his body during his playing days that many fans and pundits were sure he could have continued, especially after his stellar performance in last year’s Grand Final.
And he told Daily Mail Australia that he won’t be closing the door when he returns to the field – although if he did his next game certainly wouldn’t take place in a packed MCG.
Several well-known ex-players, including Luke Hodge, Kane Cornes and Eddie Betts, have donned the boots again to help struggling country and suburban clubs, and the Cats legend is open to the idea.
“Perhaps at the right time,” he said, “but I’m going abroad, so now isn’t the right time.”