Selwood sustained damage to his rib cartilage in a sickening collision with Essendon’s Kyle Hardingham on Sunday.
Voss said he wanted to give Selwood a proper farewell after six seasons with the Lions and said he would like to see the 26 year old continue his career at another club.
“The best way for him to finish, we thought, was to play in the seniors,” Voss said.
“He had earned that right anyway but I thought it gave him the opportunity to be able to finish how he should.
“He has been an outstanding person over such a long period of time for our club, the boys love him.”
Voss would not comment on speculation Jared Brennan and Michael Rischitelli could also be about to play their last games for the Lions, with a potential move to the Gold Coast on the horizon.
Voss said coaches and players had to ignore speculation on player movements, which would now become a normal part of AFL.
“We are in the new age of footy,” Voss said. “Put the seatbelt on and get comfortable because the fact is this is the new way that footy is going to be talked about.
“We’ve got two clubs that are coming in the next two years that have got a fair bit of cash up their sleeve and then free agency follows that.
“There will be this constant speculation and we just can’t be distracted by it.”
Voss also said resting players would become the norm in the AFL, particularly if the season gets any longer.
He expressed support for Mark Harvey in resting a host of stars on the eve of finals.
“If you are thinking about the outcome that he is after, he has still got his sights firmly fixed on the prize,” Voss said.
The Lions still have their sights on one more win to build momentum for next season.
Voss said the Lions had faced their darkest period and come out the other side in good form following their 27-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
He said the players should take a lot of confidence from the adversity they had faced over the last few months.
“I don’t think that there is anything they will face in the next six months that will be harder than what they have just gone through,” Voss said.
“As a team and collectively they are going as well as they have at any point in the season.
“The natural progression for us is (to play) a side which is going to figure in the finals and perhaps at least walk away thinking about next season, thinking we have competed against a pretty good side.”
