Joel Selwood and wife's brilliant baby news after retirement from AFL

Joel Selwood and wife Brit have announced the arrival of their first child, five months after the Geelong Cats champion retired from the AFL. Selwood's wife Brit has pregnant when he led the Cats to the premiership in 2022, before he walked away from the sport a few weeks later.

On Friday, the Selwoods took to social media to announce the birth of their son - Joey Victor Selwood. Alongside two photos of the little one, Joel and Brit both posted: “The world just got a whole lot better. Joey Victor Selwood, your Mum and Dad are so in love with you.”

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The news sparked a flood of comments congratulating the Selwoods, from both the AFL and NRL worlds. Selwood is now working with the Melbourne Storm as a leadership coach.

In announcing their pregnancy last year, Brit opened up on their struggles with conceiving. “Joel and I are grateful to be able to share that we have a little one coming into the world. We couldn’t do this announcement without acknowledging those who are struggling with infertility or loss," she wrote.

“I know how much my heart would break every time I saw a pregnancy post and my heart truly goes out to you if that’s how you’re feeling right now. These past few years have changed me forever. For anyone who has lost hope right now, I’ve been there and I’m thinking of you, and I hope one day soon, you get your miracle.”

Joel previously paid tribute to his wife, saying: “What I have worked out through this process is that women are amazing and my wife is a superwoman. In a journey that hasn’t been easy, we have found a way, through great support and Brit staying positive."

Selwood played 355 games for Geelong, winning four premierships. He was a six-time All-Australian and three-time captain of the All-Australian team.

Joel Selwood now working with Melbourne Storm

Since retiring he has switched allegiances to the NRL and is working with the Melbourne Storm as a leadership coach. “I’m really excited to be joining Storm. I’ve been watching them and been in envy of what the club has been able to achieve for a long time,” Selwood said last year.

“When the opportunity come up, I saw it as a great chance to get involved in something a bit different in an environment that is so well run. I was impressed with the presentation Frank (Ponissi) and Craig (Bellamy) made and have already been welcomed at the club when I visited AAMI Park earlier this week. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the playing group and getting into the season.”

Melbourne's general manager of football Frank Ponissi said Selwood offered a lot to the Storm due to the fact he captained Geelong over 200 times. "We knew our two clubs had a lot of similarities, not just in sustained success but the values we each hold, and Joel has been a constant driver of those values for a long time," Ponissi said. "His leadership qualities and values off the field are just as impressive and have been very well documented over the years which was also very important to us in speaking to Joel about this role."

The move isn't unprecedented, with former Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell working with the Storm in the past. Billy Slater has also done some work with St Kilda since retiring from the NRL.

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