Geelong captain Joel Selwood and partner Brit have announced that they are expecting their first child, after years of pregnancy heartbreak.
The pair took to Instagram to reveal the news, with Brit describing the upcoming birth as a ‘miracle’.
“Our dreams have come true,” she wrote.
“Joel and I are grateful to be able to share that we have a little one coming into the world.
“We couldn’t do this announcement without acknowledging those who are struggling with infertility or loss. I know how much my heart would break every time I saw a pregnancy post and my heart truly goes out to you if that’s how you’re feeling right now.
“These past few years have changed me forever. For anyone who has lost hope right now, I’ve been there and I’m thinking of you, and I hope one day soon, you get your miracle.”
Joel praised his ‘superwoman’ wife, who he married in 2020 after a two-year engagement, for her strength along a pregnancy journey that ‘hasn’t been easy’.
“What I have worked out through this process is that women are amazing and my wife is a superwoman. In a journey that hasn’t been easy, we have found a way, through great support and Brit staying positive,” he wrote.
“To couples, who are trying, have tried or can’t have a baby for some unfair reason, we see you and are sending love and positive energy your way.
“We can’t wait to meet you Baby Selwood, you will be very loved.”
The news is the highlight of a year to remember for Selwood, who has led the Cats to the minor premiership and a home preliminary final this Friday night, while breaking another slew of AFL records.
The 34-year old became the first Cat to play 350 games in Round 20, while he set a new benchmark for most games as captain when he led Geelong out for the 227th time in their Round 3 win over Collingwood, passing Stephen Kernahan’s tally.
The Cats are premiership favourites with just two weeks to go for the season, but this news means whatever the result, the Selwoods will exit September as winners.
Joel Selwood is cheered off the ground after his 227th game as captain. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
‘Really good day for Gold Coast footy’: Sharks one win from VFL history ahead of grand final berth
The Southport Sharks are one win away from taking the VFL premiership out of Victorian hands for the first time ever, after defeating Gold Coast in an all-Queensland preliminary final on Sunday.
The standalone club, which has long been a powerhouse of the now-defunct NEAFL and gained entry to the VFL upon its expansion to Queensland and Sydney in 2021, overcame its own inaccuracy and a gutsy Suns outfit to record a 28-point victory, 14.25 (109) to 13.8 (81).
The Suns reduced the margin to six points midway through the last quarter, but the Sharks had more to give, sending the home crowd at the Fankhauser Reserve in Southport into raptures with the final three goals of the game.
Forward Max Pescud summed up the mood after putting the cherry on top in the final minutes, celebrating wildly as he ran into an open goal before making a beeline for the stands.
The run and celebration took so much out of Pescud that he was reduced to vomiting on the bench shortly after.
Speaking to the Gold Coast Bulletin, Sharks star and former Port Adelaide AFL player Boyd Woodcock said it would be ‘pretty special’ to claim the premiership against Casey next week.
“I know it means a lot to Southport and I guess it’s our first opportunity to play VFL finals,” Woodcock, who finished the preliminary final with a team-high 36 disposals, said.
“We’ve made it to the grand final and it would be awesome if we could go all the way.”
The Sharks feature a series of former AFL journeymen, many of whom represented the Suns; including Jacob Dawson, Seb Tape and Brayden Crossley, Richmond 2017 premiership hero Jacob Townsend and Western Bulldogs 2018 leading goalkicker Billy Gowers.
The Sharks’ grand final opponents Casey, who are aligned with AFL powerhouse Melbourne, lost just once in the home-and-away season – in the final round, with the minor premiership already sealed – and have cruised into the big dance with 47 and 51-point wins over Sydney and Brisbane respectively in their qualifying and preliminary finals.
But despite the enormous task ahead, Woodcock is daring to dream.
“We’ve been the second best team all year behind Casey, now we get the opportunity to beat them in the grand final,” he said.
“They’re [Casey[ obviously a really good side, they’ve been good all year, you only need to beat them once though and hopefully we can do that next week.”
Spanner
Roar Rookie
Great news Joel hope kid don’t look too much like paddy :laughing:
Fairsuckofthesav
Roar Rookie
Crows joined because of money from SANFL to save the bankrupt VFL.
Phil
Guest
And just like Port Adelaide, Southport were known as the Magpies, changing their name to Sharks before they entered the QAFL in 1983. This was due to Sherwood also being called the Magpies and a bid to attract players and fans from rival Gold Coast based teams. https://www.southportsharkshistory.com.au/timeline/1983/
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Love to see a local flavour in any expansion.... coming in heavy rich and empty is not working.... Geelong Vs Gold Coast: apart from the cheer squad the only gold coast color in the crowd was the empty seats....
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Agreed and that's the evidence of Victoria's condescending paternalism
Brian
Guest
Both the names Southport and Sharks were put forward and considered by the AFL. THey were rejecetd because of the perception that it would put off other gold Coast supporters who didn't like Southport or its team. Similar to why Port Adelaide didn't join the AFL in 1991 but instead the Crows did. Am not a local so I don't know how the people in Burleigh Heads view those in Southport but that's my understanding of it
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Collingwood had a real good day on Ray Cism awhile back.
DriveBy
Roar Rookie
Jim just answered all those questions on why Southport weren't the expansion club. Much harder for Gil to control, and how poor would GWS look if Southport came in already competitive.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Big missed opportunities all round. I think there was quite some paternalism in how Victoria expanded the game.
Alchemist
Roar Rookie
To be fair, it should have been done for every expansion team. So many great teams in state comps that could have been brought into the AFL.
Fairsuckofthesav
Roar Rookie
Seems a no brainer that Gold Coast should be folded into Southport. Why they weren't from the get go reflects poorly on the Vic centric nature of AFL. No respect for grass roots outside Vic.
Fairsuckofthesav
Roar Rookie
Sure there was a subtext in that
Macca
Roar Rookie
I do find it funny that the Gold Coast Suns reserves being absoultely belted by a stand alone team is deemed a "Really good day for Gold Coast footy"
Isaac Timms
Roar Rookie
Gold Coast Sharks seems like a much easier team to get around than the 'suns'. Big missed opportunity by the AFL
Contego
Guest
Congratulations to Joel and Brit Selwood. Hopefully the Sharks can bring the title to QLD despite it being called the VFL, which hardly shows a national focus. It would be a fitting result in honour of Doc Mackenzie and one for the underdogs which aren't linked to an AFL team. It's probably the first time since the late 1980's when they became a pokie palace that Southport Sharks are considered the underdogs in reality.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Great news about Southport. Why the Sun's money wasn't put into them is just a tragedy. Home grown is always better. That's what Gungjadin told me.
Jim
Guest
Just wanted to comment to give Southport huge credit for what they achieve as a standalone club. Doubt they can beat Casey, but for years they've been A+ in terms of how they run their footy club, manage to get seriously good players to join their club, and be ultra competitive year in, year out. Would love to see them win it, but they are an outstanding club in many different ways and deserve so much credit.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Congratulations to the Joel and Brit. Good luck with everything from here on (except the footy).
Cat
Roar Guru
Congrats to Joel and Brit