'Shattering' death of Troy Selwood rocks AFL community

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The Selwood family is in mourning following the passing of Troy on Tuesday after the ex-Brisbane Australian Football League player.

Selwood, 40, was Geoff's twin brother, and the elder brother of Joel and Scott Selwood.

He played 75 Aussie Rules footy games for the Brisbane Lions between 2003 and 2010.

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Victoria Police stated that an investigation report will be compiled for the coroner after the death, which is "not being treated as suspicious".

"We are absolutely devastated by the loss of our beautiful son, brother and father, Troy today," said the Selwood family through the Australian Football League.

We'll miss Troy heaps more than we can put into words. Troy was a much-loved and loving part of our family.

Trot across his life, Troy brought joy and happiness 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 devoted dad of lovely kids, Tom and Sadie.

We'll deeply miss Troy's guts, his sense of humour, his thoughtful insights, his love and kindness.

Troy had a generous spirit, was really passionate about people, and always tried to improve the lives of those around him.

We're stoked to thank all those who've supported Troy throughout his life, and we know that his heaps of mates, footy teammates, and workmates will miss him fair dinkum.

Troy achieved many great things in his life. From his days as a young bloke and student, to his time as an AFL player, to helping young players chase their AFL dreams through his recruiting work and to his current passion project at Geelong Grammar School, Troy was able to inspire and make a lasting impact on the lives of heaps of people.

We really appreciate all the people who'll be sharing their stories about Troy, and thanks heaps for your love and support.

The news of Selwood's passing sent shockwaves through the Aussie Rules football community, with tributes flowing in throughout Tuesday arvo.

Tony Wilson, who partnered with the four Selwood siblings to write a series of books called The Selwood Boys, called Troy's death an "absolute ripper of a disaster".



https://twitter.com/byTonyWilson/status/1886601599168200765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

After his career with the Lions finished, Selwood headed back to Geelong and led the VFL team to a premiership in 2012.

Selwood also worked with the Geelong coaching team, a club where his brother Joel is considered one of their biggest legends, after his own football playing days ended.

"G'day, we're fair dinkum smashed to hear about Troy's passing. The news today's had a real impact on heaps of current and past players and staff," Cats boss Steve Hocking said in a statement.

Troy had a ripper of an attitude and heaps of enthusiasm, and he was a sheila who always had time for others. He had a fair dinkum passion for working with young blokes and helping them chase their dreams of playing top-grade footy.

On behalf of the Geelong Football Club, we offer our sincerest condolences to Troy's family, kids and mates.

He also had a stint at Collingwood for a short time and was the head of football and sport performance at esteemed Geelong Grammar School.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon also extended his sympathy on Tuesday.

"We're offering our deepest sympathies to the whole Selwood family and the broader footy community over the sad loss of Troy Selwood," Dillon said.

Troy was a legends supporter for the pathway programs of AFL talent both in his role as a recruiter for the team and more recently at Geelong Grammar.

He consistently showed a commitment to putting the needs and best interests of junior players at the forefront, creating spaces where they could freely express themselves.

Troy always brought a sense of positivity, humour and care to the hiring and mentoring processes, and will be deeply missed by every person who had the opportunity to work with him.

"Our sincerest condolences go to Joel, Adam, Scott, Bryce, Maree and the entire Selwood family, the staff and students at Geelong Grammar, and all within the footy community who knew him.

Fair dinkum, Tony Shaw, a Collingwood legend, said it was "a crushing sad day for the AFL fraternity", with another top bloke from the community, Dale Tapping, who was coach at Essendon, the Brisbane Lions, and Collingwood, biting the dust on the same day.

"We're extending our sincerest condolences to Kellie, Summer, and Mason, the family of Dale, as well as his wider family and mates, at this tough time," the AFL said in a statement.

If you or anyone you know needs urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or via lifeline.org.au In an emergency situation, ring Triple Zero (000)