Live: Footy world mourns Adam Selwood as Saturday games get underway

Collingwood had one last chance to increase the margin on the siren, as Tim Membrey marked in the left forward pocket, but his kick in the tumbling rain skewed out on the full.

As we said earlier, five of the last six games between these teams were decided by five points or less. Right now, we’re on track to make it six from seven.

The rain is going to make things interesting – not sure how many marks will be taken in the second half. Who will take control?

Join us in a little over 15 minutes to find out.

The rain is beginning to fall at the MCG, and the Crows need to answer.

And they do! The ball finds Fogarty in the left forward pocket, and despite a narrow angle and a slippy ball, he kicks a beauty for Adelaide’s sixth of the day.

Better from the Pies.

Tim Membrey made a big contest and controlled the ball, it went inside 50, Mihocek competed and the ball came to Jamie Elliott and one through handballs it fell to Steele Sidebottom, who snapped to bring the Pies fans to their feet.

A minute later they were in again, with a turnover leading to quick handballs and Jack Crisp put the finish on it.

Suddenly the margin is 10 points to the Pies.

And now Collingwood is made to pay.

The Pies were going inside 50 but the ball was chopped off at full-back, and then Adelaide went coast-to-coast.

They hit their targets, ending up with Darcy Fogarty on 50, and he steadied and kicked long and through, with Izak Rankine left to watch admiringly as the ball went over his head.

Crows by 2.

That was a lot of hard work for little result!

The Magpies are piling the pressure on the Crows, and that time it worked, with an intercept and switch across to Jack Crisp on 50 – he chipped forward for Bobby Hill to mark.

But the kick drifted across, and that’s only a four-point margin to the Pies.

Repeat entries for the Pies here, but they can’t seem to turn it into an advantage.

At one point Adelaide led inside 50s 12-6, now it’s 20-18 to Collingwood.

There have been a few behinds scored by the Pies, but they lead by only three points in this low-scoring affair.

The AFL Players’ Association released this statement a short time ago.

On behalf of the AFLPA Board, members and staff, we wish to express our sincerest condolences to the Selwood family, Adam’s friends and former teammates, and offer our ongoing support to all members and families that need it.

The Selwoods are a much loved and admired family and Adam was a man of enormous courage, spirit, and leadership — qualities that are universally admired. Adam was an AFLPA delegate and then a board member during his playing career and his impact on the AFLPA and our members will live on and his loss will be felt by so many.

The Collingwood fans will not be happy there … the ball was sent high to near the square and it looked like the Crows defence caught Brody Bihocek high, but there was no free.

Four-time Hawthorn premiership player Luke Hodge played with Adam and Troy Selwood during their junior days.

He had this to say on SEN radio earlier this afternoon.

I played junior football with Adam and Troy in 1996, so I met the Selwood family that many years ago and every time you run into them, [they’re] always quality people and you feel for them.

You feel for the whole Selwood family for what they have been through over the last few months.

It’s terrible.

Former Eagles coach Adam Simpson also paid tribute to Selwood.

I don’t know what to say. It was a pleasure to work with Adam briefly.

It’s just a tragedy. It breaks your heart after what we had to deal with and for this to happen again from a family point of view.

I haven’t got too many words, to be honest.

And no sooner do I say that then a long ball to Josh Rachele on 50 is turned into a high ball to the hot spot, and Darcy Fogarty marks and goals.

We’re back to a point the difference, a couple of minutes in to the second quarter.

Jeremy Howe and Billy Frampton are doing the business down back intercepting the Crows.

So far, the trio of Walker, Thilthorpe and Fogarty have just four marks. They’ll need more of those closer to goal if Adelaide is to push ahead.

Well that was a way to finish the quarter! The Magpies looked like they had been repelled, but a kick to a contest was spoiled goalwards by the Crows, only for it to hold up and allow time for Bobby Hill to get a flying boot to the ball and send it through from 5m to the left of the goals.

That was a perfect marker for Sir Doug Nicholls round, and Hill’s momentum took him pretty much into the front row.

The Pies finished the stronger, with Jack Crisp having more of an influence than Nick Daicos to be honest. But there’s not a lot in it, with Jordan Dawson’s 20 disposals almost as damaging.

We’ll see how things go in the second term. Stick with us to find out. 

That was better from Collingwood, who surged forward off an Adelaide turnover – Brody Mihocek forced the contest, the ball fell to Bobby Hill, whose pinpoint kick set up a mark from Tim Membrey.

The former Saint converted from 15 out, and it’s the Magpies who lead deep in time on.

The visitors are starting to push ahead, the Crows are leading the inside 50s comprehensively 12-7, and that latest one saw a solid mark on the wing from Darcy Fogarty and then a kick to Taylor Walker inside 50.

Walker kicked truly, and Adelaide lead again.

The West Coast Eagles have paid their respect to Adam Selwood, who won an AFL premiership with the club in 2006.

Selwood was drafted from Bendigo in 2002 and played 187 matches for the Eagles.

He was named Best Clubman in 2013, his final season playing with the Eagles, and was awarded a life membership.

The Eagles will honour Selwood at Sunday’s home match against St Kilda in Perth.

Via a club statement, the Eagles’ 2006 premiership coach and current head of football, John Worsfold, said:

Adam was a great teammate who loved the club, loved his footy.

He always put his mates and team first, and he would be saying that now. He would be wanting to see our Club grow and return to having on-field success once again.

We drafted him at 18 and watched him grow as a player and person. We got to know the Selwood family so well over the years, and they are such wonderful people who our hearts go out to more than anything today.

As a player, Adam was the ultimate team man. He played whatever role was required. He gave it 100 per cent and connected with everyone he was involved with.

He’s had a massive impact on our footy club as a player, coach and staff member.

Eagles CEO Don Pyke said:

Everyone who knew Adam knew what an outstanding person and family man he was, and his loss is being deeply felt across our club and the West Coast Eagles community.

He had a significant impact on our football Club across 18 years, which included working in our community and game development department and setting up our AFLW program, something he was incredibly proud of and will be a lasting legacy.

On behalf of the club I wish to send my deepest sympathies to the Selwood family and Adam’s loved ones at this difficult time.

The fluency of play is still a bit hit and miss, but the Crows put it together there with a lovely move entering forward 50 down the right side.

A chain of handballs all worked before a chip kick across the body from deep in the pocket landed right in the arms of Josh Rachele.

He kicked truly from 20m out, and the Crows lead by a point.

The Magpies have jumped on a turnover there and made the Crows pay. Pressure near defensive 50 led to an intercept by Jack Crisp, who handballed over the top to Will Hoskin-Elliott, and the Collingwood player gathered cleanly, turned and snapped a great goal.

The home side leads by five points, halfway through the quarter.

We’re kind of waiting for this game to settle down. The Crows have had a few chances but couldn’t take them.

But then Collingwood turned the ball over inside their defensive half, and Izak Rankine ran on to it and kicked a goal to level the scores at 1.1 apiece.

The AFL has just released the following statement:

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon today said the football industry would unite to support the Selwood family, following the passing of Adam Selwood in Perth overnight.

Adam was 41 and Mr Dillon said he could not imagine the pain for the family after the loss of Troy Selwood earlier this year, and urged all those in football, and the wider community to reach out whenever possible to their friends and colleagues and check in on them.

“Adam was a dearly loved son, brother, husband and father and his loss is a tremendous blow for all who loved him,” Mr Dillon said.

“On behalf of the AFL and all of our clubs, I want to send our love to his wife Fiona and their two children, to Maree and Bryce Selwood, Joel and Scott, and their families, and all of Adam’s many friends and colleagues and past team mates at West Coast and across football.

“Adam was a premiership player and outstanding contributor to the game at the highest level, and then latterly continued to work in the game in coaching and other roles, but first and foremost he was a young man who gave so much time and love to those around him.”