AFTER being spruiked for weeks as the NAB AFL Rising Star favouritebefore finally winning the award on Wednesday, Geelong young gun Joel Selwood was simplypleased the hype was over.
Selwood became the 15th NAB AFL Rising Star, but the first recipientof the Ron Evans medal, inaugurated after the former AFL Commission Chairmanpassed away earlier this year.
"It's a bit of a relief to get it over," Selwoodsaid at Crowd Palladium after the presentation.
“It's a great honour to take out the medal; there's been alot of hype about it.”
Selwood has enjoyed a startling debut year, which has seenmany label him one of the best first year players in the history of the game,and a future Geelongcaptain.
He said he was always confident he'd slot into AFL football,and had the self-belief to back himself when the time came.
"I always thought when I saw Marc Murphy running aroundin the early parts of last year, and Clint Bartram … I played with those sorts of guys in Irelandand with Vic Country, and I always thought, geez, I could be doing that rightnow," he said.
"I just had to get my body in some good nick, and goout and try and put it on the park."
He also credits the club's coaching staff , who have handedhim plenty of opportunities to prove himself at senior level.
"It's just the faith the coaches have shown in me,” hesaid. “I think I adapted pretty well to coming on and off the ground, playingthe sort of pinch role through the midfield, and I guess that's a role Geelong needed."
"To be able to come on and try and play a part and havea bit of an impact … I've just got to try and keep doing that."
Teammate Gary Ablett Jnr never won a NAB AFL Rising Starnomination in his early days, but the same can’t be said for Selwood's olderbrothers: West Coast's Adam and Brisbane Lion Troy.
Selwood said despite never going on to win the awardthemselves, the brothers would be "proud" – as Joel was for Adam whenthe Eagles won the premiership last year.
"It was pretty emotional. I was sitting next to Troy and mum, and we werespeechless," he said.
"You all jump up and it was just one point, and there'snot many Grand Finals that are going to be like that. But it was just a greatmoment for the family, and we were all there to soak it in.”
Watching West Coast celebrate in the rooms fuelled Selwood’shunger to help Geelong to a premiership,although in true Geelongfashion this year, he says right now that's still far from his mind.
"It's a long month, and down at Geelong we take things week by week," hesaid.
"We look forward to the next month; we're definitelyexcited about what could eventuate, but we've got the Kangaroos on Sunday andwe're looking forward to taking them on."
