AFL grief – Ben Cousins and Chris Judd reflect on the loss of Adam Selwood and Adam Hunter as West Coast legends reunite for the 2006 premiership.
AFL premiership icons Ben Cousins and Chris Judd have opened up about the lasting weight of grief following the tragic deaths of West Coast Eagles teammates Adam Selwood and Adam Hunter.
Speaking during a Channel Seven interview. Cousins and Judd reflected on how profoundly both losses affected the group. while also sharing what made the two players so significant beyond the football field.. Their comments came as the pair returned to Perth for a reunion of the West Coast Eagles 2006 premiership team. which included both Selwood and Hunter.
Insight: This kind of public reflection matters because it shows that the impact of tragedy in sport extends well beyond match days, shaping how teammates, clubs, and fans carry memory over time.
Judd described there being “a forever hole” in the celebrations and in the everyday moments that follow when beloved teammates are no longer there. while also emphasizing their character.. He singled out Hunter’s role in tight games and noted how Selwood’s defensive work was central to the Eagles’ week-to-week competitiveness.
Cousins added his own perspective, recalling the way both players were regarded within the squad. He framed their presence as something the group felt deeply, not just through performances, but through the human connections that build a team culture.
Insight: Reunions often bring back shared routines and pressures, and in this case, they also reintroduce the emotional reality that some losses remain permanently part of the club story.
The deaths of Hunter and Selwood were reported to have followed long periods of struggle. with coronial and welfare details later highlighted publicly.. For the former Eagles leaders. that context sits alongside something more enduring: the sense that their teammates will always be part of what the 2006 side represented.
As West Coast players and supporters gathered for an official function ahead of the club’s match against Richmond. Misryoum notes that the tributes underline how legacies in the AFL are built on both on-field roles and off-field values.. That balance is what Cousins and Judd appeared determined to protect in their message.
Insight: When clubs and legends speak openly about grief, it can help communities process difficult realities, reminding fans that the sport’s history is also made of people and their stories.