AFL 2023: Geelong names Kardinia Park stand after Joel Selwood

Geelong has honoured record-breaking former captain Joel Selwood, with the refurbished Northern Stand at GMHBA Stadium to now bear his name.

The four-time Geelong premiership player, who played in a club-record 355 games and a league-record 239 as captain, said he was “blown away” when he discovered the newest section of the ground would be named the Joel Selwood Stand.

It follows a $142m redevelopment of the Kardinia Park venue, which will feature a new Fred Flanagan room and the return of the Gary Ablett Terrace on the first level of the Selwood Stand.

Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking said the renaming of the Northern Stand was “fitting recognition” for Selwood’s achievements.

“We congratulate Joel on the honour of having the new grandstand bear his name. Joel has made a significant contribution to the club and the wider Geelong community since he walked through the doors at Kardinia Park in late 2006 and this is a fitting recognition,” Hocking said.

“As a club, we are excited to see the stage 5 redevelopment nearing completion. The increased capacity at our home ground has opened the door for many exciting opportunities, including fixtures against big Victorian clubs and more fans being able to watch the Cats at home.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming our members to open days in the new year so they can experience and explore the new and many features of the grandstand for the first time.”

Selwood said he was yet to tell former teammates, including Tom Hawkins and Harry Taylor, about the honour but said players and staff during his time at Geelong should also feel recognised by the renaming.

“I was blown away, to be honest, when it was mentioned to me things were going to land that way,” Selwood said.

“Just to think of all the good times that I’ve had here, good and bad, and in saying that there haven’t been many bad.

“To think about the people along the way who have led the way, and I just thought of Frank Costa, Brian Cook, the team I had when I first got here – Mark Thompson, Neil Balme. I get the name on the stand, but this is a big part of everyone.”

GMHBA Stadium is expected to reach a capacity of 40,000 once works are fully complete.

The two gates accessing the redeveloped grandstand will be named after Geelong great Polly Farmer and the late women’s football pioneer Audrey Cope, who captained Geelong’s first women’s team in 1954.

“It is fantastic to see two incredibly important figures in Geelong’s history recognised with Polly Farmer’s and Audrey Hope’s names adorning the gates of our new stand,” Hocking said.

“Polly changed the way Australian Rules football was played for the better with his innovative style of play, while Audrey was a true pioneer in the earliest days of organised women’s football in Geelong.”

The Cats will play nine games in Geelong in the 2024 AFL season, including a Saturday night clash against St Kilda in round 1.