On the practice track, under the gray light of a midweek session, michael sellwood and Lachie Jaques were pulled aside and told they would wear the senior jumper in the club’s Opening Round against Brisbane. The moment — a mix of stunned silence, quick smiles and teammates gathering close — landed for both players as the reward for a pre-season that caught the coaches’ eye.
Why was Michael Sellwood named for the Opening Round?
Michael Sellwood’s selection followed measurable contributions in the club’s pre-season fixtures. In the AAMI Community Series win over Hawthorn, Sellwood collected 13 disposals and four marks, performances that bolstered his case after joining the list last year’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft. The coaching staff told the pair the news after Wednesday’s training session, a routine moment that turned into a career milestone.
What did Lachie Jaques and michael sellwood do to earn selection?
Both players used the practice matches to press their claims. Lachie Jaques registered 16 disposals and five marks in the AAMI Community Series clash, while michael sellwood produced the 13-disposal, four-mark outing that helped convince selectors he was ready for AFL level. Jaques was originally picked in the 2024 National Draft with Pick 29; Sellwood’s pathway was the Mid-Season Rookie Draft the previous year. Those distinct routes to the list underline a single point: form in the months before the season can quickly translate into opportunity.
Who else is in the picture and what does this mean for the team?
The club will confirm the remainder of its Opening Round team on Thursday night. Senior names slated to play include established players who will line up against the Lions, and the selection of Jaques and Sellwood brings fresh depth to both ends of the ground. The Bulldogs’ VFL preparations and pre-season practice matches are part of a broader approach to finalizing lists for competitive football, and the pair’s elevation is framed as both reward and necessity as the club fields its best available group.
Voices from inside the change room captured the human weight of the call-up. Lachie Jaques said he had ‘Bundy’ — Anthony Barry — as his VFL backline coach last year and that hearing the news from him made the moment particularly special. “I had ‘Bundy’ (Anthony Barry) all of last year in the VFL as my backline coach, so to hear it from him was pretty special. I’m stoked to get the call-up, ” Jaques said. Sellwood kept it spare but clear: “I just can’t wait – I’m so grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully we can get the win, ” he added.
The club’s decision to blood two debutants in the opening game signals both confidence in the pair and a commitment to development pathways. Jaques’ route the National Draft and Sellwood’s elevation through the Mid-Season Rookie Draft are different but complementary stories — one of planned recruitment and the other of in-season opportunity converted into selection.
Back on the track where the news landed, the same patch of turf that heard the initial announcement will soon host a different kind of noise: stadium lights, anthem, and the first AFL game-day runs. For michael sellwood, Lachie Jaques and their teammates, the trick now is to turn the charged moment of selection into sustained performance. The pair walk into the Opening Round carrying the encouragement of practice form, the attention of coaches and the quiet scrutiny of teammates and fans — and the simple, human hope that comes with a debut: to do justice to the jumper, to the coach who picked them and to the opportunity itself.
