Australian Football

Joe Sellwood, who was among the handful of top level footballers to have been born in New Zealand, was a familiar and formidable presence in Geelong teams during the course of no fewer than 14 seasons. Recruited from Wunghnu in the Goulburn Valley Football Association he made his VFL debut in the Cats' round-seven game against Richmond at Corio Oval in 1930, and impressed with three of his team's nine goals in a one-point loss. He made just three further senior appearances that year, and managed only three games the following season when Geelong went top, but in 1932 he became a key member of the side. Renowned for his strength, prodigious kicking, and tremendous marking ability, especially in wet weather, Sellwood was equally at home at centre half back, centre half forward, or on the ball.

Selected to mind Collingwood sharpshooter Ron Todd in the 1937 Grand Final, he was given the runaround early, but after being shifted to centre half forward he emerged as one of the key factors in the Cats' eventual 32-point win.

Sellwood continued to play with Geelong until the opening round of 1945 (missing the entire 1942 and 1943 seasons as the Cats went into temporary abeyance owing to the war), by which time he had played a total of 180 VFL games and kicked 97 goals. He also played one interstate game for the VFL.

Author - John Devaney