AFL great Joel Selwood could be a shock inclusion in Australia’s Ashes touring party as ‘fellow Geelong boy’ Andrew McDonald approaches Cats hero over a coaching role
- Joel Selwood is in discussion with Cricket Australia over a coaching role
- Four-time premiership winner called time on his AFL career last year
- Selwood has since joined the Melbourne Storm as leadership coach this season
Geelong hero Joel Selwood could be a shock inclusion in Australia’s cricket team for the upcoming Ashes series in England this winter.
The four-time premiership winner is in discussion with Cricket Australia over joining forces with Test coach Andrew McDonald as the Aussies look to win a series in England for the first time in 22 years.
‘We’re gonna head overseas halfway through the year,’ Selwood told 7NEWS.
‘It’ll be when the guys are playing in the Ashes.
‘Andrew McDonald’s a local Geelong boy and been in contact for a period of time.
Geelong premiership hero Joel Selwood could be set for a role with Cricket Australia
Selwood has been in discussion with Australian Test coach Andrew McDonald over the possibility of joining the team in a coaching capacity on this winter’s Ashes tour
‘They’re probably in a similar position to where the Cats are. They’ve got a lot of guys who are coming towards the end of their career and maybe finding their way out the next couple of years.’
Selwood called time on his 16-year AFL career in fairytale fashion, bowing out by winning his fourth flag as Geelong thrashed Sydney 20.13 (133) to 8.4 (52).
The 355-game veteran switched codes shortly after his retirement, joining the Melbourne Storm as their leadership coach.
‘NRL was probably a never a sport that I thought that I would be mixing too much with,’ Selwood told Daily Mail Australia in December last year.
‘I’ve followed them to a degree, mainly when the big three [Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk] were there and they put Melbourne Storm on the map down here in a Melbourne market is, of course, saturated by AFL.
‘When I caught up with a couple of people there, one being Frank Ponissi [the Storm general manager of football] and of course I couldn’t say no to a really impressive guy.
‘They’ve just been an organisation that’s been well ran for a number of years, so that was the thing about it.’
Now the 34-year-old, who has recently welcomed his first child with wife Brit, looks set to cross sports again.
Australia begin their defence of the Ashes on June 16 at Edgbaston, before the series moves to Lord’s for the second Test.
The series then heads to Headingley, where the Aussies snatched defeat from the jaws of victory courtesy of Ben Stokes’ heroics in 2019, for the third Test before moving to Old Trafford.
Selwood joined the Melbourne Storm as their leadership coach this season
The fifth and final Test is scheduled to be held at the Oval, which will also stage the World Test Championship final in June.
Australia have already guaranteed themselves a spot in the final after wrapping up a famous nine-wicket win against India in Indore last week.
India will secure their place in the final if they beat the Aussies in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad this week.
A draw or a loss would leave India’s fate depending on the outcome of Sri Lanka’s series in New Zealand later this month.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
