After 18 years with the club – as a player, coach and finally as head of the club's female football program – respected West Coast Eagles figure Adam Selwood has decided to move down a different professional path.

Secured with selection No.53 in the 2002 AFL draft, Selwood played 187 games and was part of the 2006 premiership campaign.

Renowned for squeezing every milligram from his body in the quest for success – something of a family trait seen in the careers of brothers Troy, Joel and Scott (a West Coast Eagles Club Champion) – Selwood is also a club life member.

He was the best clubman in 2013, his last season on the senior list.

Selwood then moved into the coaching ranks before being appointed as the Head of Female Football where he was charged with the responsibility of laying the foundations for the club’s entry into the AFLW competition.

He was central to the recruiting process that landed key players like captain Emma Swanson and inaugural club champion Dana Hooker.

Working under the umbrella of the Community and Game Development Department, the foundations of that squad will serve the club well as it strives to close the gap on the leading teams in the competition.

Selwood said it was with a heavy heart that he would venture into the next phase of his professional life.

“I have spent half of my life at the West Coast Eagles and it has been a wonderful experience at a wonderful organisation,” Selwood said today.

“The club took a punt on me when I was drafted in 2002 and have backed me ever since.

“Eighteen years later I am a father, a much more rounded person and I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life.

“I am immensely proud of what I have been able to achieve and the opportunities the club has provided for me. Perhaps my most satisfying achievement has been over the last four years working on the model to bring our AFLW program to what it is today.

“I will always be their No.1 fan, but for me the time is right to broaden my experiences.”

General Manager of Community and Game Development Richard O’Connell was effusive in his endorsement of Selwood’s contribution.  

“Adam has been tireless in his efforts to establish the female program and we will see the benefits of that work in years to come,” O’Connell said.

“His enthusiasm, passion and drive have been infectious and we are indebted to him for the standards he set from the get-go.”