Joel Selwood's love of the game outweighs the pressure associated with leadership by such a margin that it has allowed him to become the longest-serving captain in AFL history.

That's the simple truth of the matter, according to the Geelong skipper himself.

Selwood, who took over from Cameron Ling as skipper after the 2011 premiership, will reach 227 games at the helm when he leads the Cats into battle against Collingwood on Saturday night.

In doing so, he will pass the mark set by Carlton legend Stephen Kernahan a quarter of a century ago.

"I appreciate the game for what it is," Selwood said.

"You can put all the pressure in the world on someone's shoulders but when you get to throw that jumper on just before a game ... there's no better feeling that I get each week than that.

"I was talking to Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown the other night and Nick was speaking about the pressures that he thought came with it (leadership) and the anxiety.

"I don't necessarily get that but I get the love of what you've worked at throughout the week to get ready for that moment to go again."

That feeling extends behind the scenes to the unglamorous side of professional football, which Selwood relishes more than most of his peers.

"I've been lucky in that a lot of the jobs do get shared and I've got a lot of good people looking over (me) to make sure I don't get drowned out in it," the 33-year-old said.

"There's the lonely hours that I like to do, preparing the body and keeping it up to scratch, but I also do love hanging around the people at this footy club.

"I wouldn't be doing it if I lost that love."

Selwood, who has played 336 games for the Cats, has been captain for all but one of Chris Scott's dozen seasons as Geelong coach.

The pair share a bond they say will never be broken.

"The mutual respect that's been built between us is such that nothing will ever get in the way of the relationship that we have," Scott said.

"We're still really optimistic about what we can do together in the future, so we're not going to spend too much time looking back, but I look forward to a lifelong relationship with Joel."

Selwood has been kept in the dark about Geelong's plans to celebrate his milestone but believes Kernahan will be in attendance to see the record broken.

FROM a night of celebration to a night to forget and back again, Geelong skipper Joel Selwood will never forget the night he broke Stephen Kernahan's long-standing record after the Cats overcame a 30-point three-quarter time deficit to record a famous win on Saturday night.

The 33-year-old had been the focus of the week ahead of his 227th game as Cats skipper, moving past the Carlton legend after starting the season level with triple Brownlow Medallist Dick Reynolds. 

That record may never be broken, but things were almost broken for Chris Scott's side on Saturday night. 

Geelong conceded nine goals in the third quarter – five in a five-minute patch – and stared a 1-2 start in the eyes before booting the final seven goals of the game to win by 13 points and celebrate one of the greatest players to ever wear the famous hoops in dramatic style. 

And while it was Selwood's night to savour, Jeremy Cameron produced his best performance since arriving at GMHBA Stadium at the end of 2020. 

The Coleman Medal winner kicked three final-quarter goals when the Cats needed them, finishing with six goals – the most he has booted in a game for Geelong – from nine marks in a stunning performance. 

Just when Craig McRae appeared set to make it three from three – and three 100+ scores to start a new era at Collingwood in style – Scott's men turned the game on its head in the final 30 minutes to win 16.8 (104) to 13.13 (91). 

In an incredible game that saw both sides dominate large chunks of the contest, Collingwood had no answers for the Cats in the fourth quarter.

Geelong's other star key forward – Tom Hawkins – put the icing on the cake in the dying seconds, ensuring Selwood's milestone was a night to remember for the right reasons. 

Selwood has now won every milestone, from 50 games to 300, and now on the night where he became the longest-serving skipper in the history of the game.

COLLINGWOOD         3.7       4.11       13.12       13.13 (91)
GEELONG                 2.3       6.4       9.6     16.8 (104)

GOALS  
Collingwood: Mihocek 2, Cameron 2, Elliott 2, N.Daicos, J.Daicos, De Goey, Ginnivan, Henry, Howe, Lipinski
Geelong:  Cameron 6, Hawkins 3, Blicavs, Close, Dangerfield, Duncan, Holmes, Parfitt, Smith

BEST  
Collingwood: Elliott, Adams, N.Daicos, Crisp, Quaynor
Geelong: Cameron, Stewart, Dangerfield, Guthrie, Holmes

INJURIES  
Collingwood: Nil
Geelong: Blicavs (ribs), Ratugolea (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES  
Collingwood: Brown (unused)
Geelong: Dahlhaus (replaced Ratugolea in fourth quarter)

Crowd: 52,974 at the MCG