Troy Selwood has been remembered as a much-loved teammate and mentor with a passion for helping young athletes achieve their AFL dreams, following his death aged 40.
A member of the AFL's famous Selwood family, the identical twin of West Coast premiership player Adam and brother of Geelong champion Joel and former Eagles and Cats midfielder Scott died on Tuesday.
Troy Selwood played 75 games for Brisbane between 2005 and 2010.
He then captained Geelong's VFL team to the 2012 premiership, before retiring in 2013, along with spending more than a decade in the Cats' AFL football department.
"We are heartbroken by the loss of our son, brother and father, Troy this morning. We will miss Troy more than words can express," the Selwood family said in a statement via the AFL.
"Troy was a much loved and loving member of our family. Over the course of his life, Troy brought joy and light 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 doting father of beautiful children Tom and Sadie.
"We will miss Troy's bravery, his humour, his deep thinking, his love and compassion. Troy had a generosity of spirit, cared deeply about people and strove to make the lives of others better.
"We are grateful to all those that have supported Troy throughout his life, and we know that his many friends, teammates and colleagues will miss him greatly."
Selwood's most notable role at Geelong between 2010-21 was in talent identification, before he had a brief stint at Collingwood.
"We are extremely saddened to learn of Troy's passing. The news today has had a deep impact on many current and former players and staff," Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking said.
"Troy had a great spirit and energy and was someone who always cared about others.
"He had a passion for working with young people and helping them achieve their dreams of playing elite football."
The Lions also paid tribute to Selwood, who was drafted with pick No.19 in the 2002 draft and made his name as a hard-nosed tagger.
"Troy was much loved amongst his teammates and respected across the industry for his work in multiple football roles," chief executive Greg Swann said.
Selwood was also a players' union delegate. AFL Players Association chief Paul Marsh hailed him as "someone who contributed immensely to the industry", while AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon called him "an incredible advocate for AFL talent pathways programs".
Selwood most recently worked as head of football and sports performance at Geelong Grammar.
"He demonstrated a core purpose to always place the needs of young players first and created environments where they could be themselves," Dillon said.
"Troy always brought a sense of positivity, humour and care to the recruiting and talent development process and will be sadly missed by everyone that was fortunate enough to work with him."
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