[edit] Background
By the early 3rd century, the Han Dynasty, which had ruled China for almost four centuries (albeit with a 16-year interruption, dividing the dynasty into its Western and Eastern periods), was crumbling. Emperor Xian had been a political figurehead since 189, with no control over the actions of the various warlords controlling their respective territories. One of the most powerful rulers in northern China was the warlord Cao Cao, who, by the year 207, had unified northern China and retained total control of the North China Plain. He then completed a successful campaign against the Wuhuan in the winter of the same year, thus securing his northern frontier. Upon his return in 208, he was proclaimed to be the Imperial Chancellor of Han, a position that granted him absolute authority over the entire imperial government (de Crespigny 1969:253, 465 6n). Shortly afterwards, in the autumn of 208, his army began a Southern Campaign (Eikenberry 1994; de Crespigny 2003).
The Yangtze River in the area of Jing province (which roughly corresponded to modern Hubei and Hunan provinces) was key to the success of this strategy. If Cao Cao were to have any hope of reuniting the sundered Han empire, he had to achieve naval control of the middle Yangtze and command the strategic naval base at Jiangling as a means of access to the southern region (de Crespigny 2003). Two warlords controlled the regions of the Yangtze that were key to Cao Cao's success: Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, controlled the river west of the mouth of the Han, roughly encompassing the area around the city of Xiakou and all territory south of that region. Sun Quan controlled the river east of the Han and the southeastern territories abutting it (de Crespigny 2007:773). A third ally, Liu Bei, was living in refuge with Liu Biao at the garrison in Fancheng (modern Xiangfan), having fled from the northeast to the Jing Province following a failed plot to assassinate Cao Cao and restore power to the imperial dynasty (de Crespigny 2007:480; de Crespigny 1969:258).
The initial stages of the campaign were an unqualified success for Cao Cao, as the command of the Jing Province had been substantially weakened and the Jing armies exhausted by conflict with Sun Quan to the south (de Crespigny 2007:486). Factions had arisen supporting either of Liu Biao's two sons in a struggle for succession. The younger son prevailed, and Liu Biao's dispossessed eldest son, Liu Qi, departed to assume a commandery in Jiangxia (de Crespigny 2004:241). Liu Biao died of illness only a few weeks later, while Cao Cao was advancing from the north and, under these circumstances, Liu Biao's younger son and successor, Liu Cong, quickly surrendered. Cao Cao thus captured a sizeable fleet and secured the naval base at Jiangling. This provided him with a key strategic military depot and forward base to harbour his ships (de Crespigny 2004:246,250,255).
When Jing fell, Liu Bei quickly fled south, accompanied by a refugee population of civilians and soldiers. This disorganised exodus was pursued by Cao Cao's elite cavalry, and was surrounded and decisively beaten at the Battle of Changban (near the modern-day city of Dangyang in Hubei). Liu Bei escaped, however, and fled further east to Xiakou, where he liaised with Sun Quan's emissary Lu Su. At this point historical accounts are inconsistent; Lu Su may have successfully encouraged Liu Bei to move even further east, to Fankou (樊口). In either case, Liu Bei was later joined by Liu Qi and levies from Jiangxia (de Crespigny 2004:255). Liu Bei's main advisor, Zhuge Liang, was sent to Chaisang (柴桑) to negotiate forming a mutual front against Cao Cao with the state of Wu (de Crespigny 1969:263).
By the time Zhuge Liang arrived, Cao Cao had already sent Sun Quan a letter boasting of commanding 800,000 men and demanding Sun Quan's surrender. The faction led by Sun Quan's Chief Clerk, Zhang Zhao, advocated surrender, citing Cao Cao's overwhelming numerical advantage. However, on separate occasions, Lu Su, Zhuge Liang, and Wu's chief commander, Zhou Yu, all presented arguments to persuade Sun Quan to agree to the alliance against the northerners. Sun Quan finally decided upon war, chopping off a corner of his desk during an assembly and stating: "Anyone who still dares argue for surrender will be [treated] the same as this desk." He then assigned Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and Lu Su with 30,000 men to aid Liu Bei against Cao Cao (de Crespigny 1996).
Although Cao Cao had boasted command of 800,000 men, Zhou Yu estimated Cao Cao's actual troop strength to be closer to 220,000. Furthermore, this total included 70,000 impressed troops from the armies of the recently defeated Liu Biao, so the loyalty and morale of a large number of Cao Cao's force was uncertain (Eikenberry 1994:60). With the 20,000 soldiers that Liu Bei had gathered, the alliance consisted of approximately 50,000 marines who were trained and prepared for battle (de Crespigny 2004:252;255).
[edit] Battle
The Battle of Red Cliffs unfolded in three stages: an initial skirmish at Red Cliffs followed by a retreat to the Wulin battlefields on the northwestern bank of the Yangtze, a decisive naval engagement, and Cao Cao's disastrous retreat along Huarong Road.
The combined Sun-Liu force sailed upstream from either Xiakou or Fankou to Red Cliffs, where they encountered Cao Cao's vanguard force. Plagued by disease and low morale due to the series of forced marches they had undertaken on the prolonged Southern Campaign (de Crespigny 2003), Cao Cao's men could not gain an advantage in the small skirmish which ensued, so Cao Cao retreated to Wulin (north of the Yangtze River) and the allies pulled back to the south (de Crespigny 2004:257).
Cao Cao had moored his ships from stem to stern, possibly aiming to reduce seasickness in his navy, which comprised mostly northerners who were not used to living on ships. Observing this, divisional commander Huang Gai sent Cao Cao a letter feigning surrender and prepared a squadron of capital ships described as mengchong doujian (蒙衝鬥艦). The ships had been converted into fire ships by filling them with bundles of kindling, dry reeds, and fatty oil. As Huang Gai's "defecting" squadron approached the midpoint of the river, the sailors applied fire to the ships before taking to small boats. The unmanned fire ships, carried by the southeastern wind, sped towards Cao Cao's fleet and set it ablaze. Within a short time smoke and flames stretched across the sky, and a large number of men and horses either burned to death or drowned (Chen c. 280:54.1262-63).
Following the initial shock, Zhou Yu and the allies led a lightly armed force to capitalise on the assault. The northern army was thrown into confusion and was utterly smashed. Seeing the situation was hopeless, Cao Cao then issued a general order of retreat and destroyed a number of his remaining ships before withdrawing (Chen c. 280).
Cao Cao's army attempted a retreat along Huarong Road, including a long stretch passing through marshlands north of Dongting Lake. Heavy rains had reduced the track to a thick mire, making the road so treacherous that many of the sick soldiers had to carry bundles of grass on their backs and use them to fill the road, to allow the horsemen to cross. Many of these soldiers drowned in the mud or were trampled to death in the effort. To the misery of Cao Cao's army, the allies, led by Zhou Yu and Liu Bei, gave chase over land and water until they reached Nan Commandery (南郡). Combined with famine and disease, this decimated Cao Cao's remaining forces. Cao Cao then retreated north to his home base of Ye, leaving Cao Ren and Xu Huang to guard Jiangling, Yue Jin stationed in Xiangyang, and Man Chong in Dangyang (Chen c. 280).
The allied counterattack might have vanquished Cao Cao and his forces entirely. However, the crossing of the Yangtze River dissolved into chaos as the allied armies converged on the riverbank and fought over the limited number of ferries. To restore order, a detachment led by the allied general Gan Ning established a bridgehead in Yiling to the north, and only a staunch rearguard action by Cao Ren prevented further catastrophe (Eikenberry 1994:60; de Crespigny 2007:239).
[edit] Analysis
A combination of Cao Cao's strategic errors and the effectiveness of Huang Gai's ruse had resulted in the allied victory at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Zhou Yu had previously observed that Cao Cao's generals and soldiers comprised mostly cavalry and infantry, and few had any experience in naval warfare. Cao Cao also had little support among the people of Jing province, and thus lacked a secure forward base of operations (Eikenberry 1994:60). Despite the strategic acumen Cao Cao had displayed in earlier campaigns and battles, in this case he had simply assumed that numerical superiority would eventually defeat the Sun and Liu navy. Cao's first tactical mistake was converting his massive army of infantry and cavalry into a marine corps and navy: with only a few days of drills before the battle, Cao Cao's troops were ravaged by sea-sickness and lack of experience on water. Tropical diseases, to which the southerners had long been immune, also plagued the soldiers of the north with the debilitating effects of sickness rampant in Cao Cao's camps. Although numerous, Cao Cao's men were already exhausted by the unfamiliar environment and the extended southern campaign, as Zhuge Liang observed: "Even a powerful arrow at the end of its flight cannot penetrate a silk cloth" (Military Documents 1979:193).
The uncharacteristically poor preparation and miscalculations displayed by Cao Cao during this campaign may have been partly due to the recent death of his strategist and advisor Guo Jia. Cao Cao himself had commented: "Had Guo Jia been with us, I would never have got into such trouble" (Chen c. 280:14:433). Another key advisor, Jia Xu, had recommended after the surrender of Liu Cong that the overtaxed armies be given time to rest and replenish before engaging the armies of Sun Quan and Liu Bei, but Cao Cao disregarded the advice (Eikenberry 1994:60). Cao Cao's own thoughts regarding his failure at Red Cliffs suggest that he held his own actions and misfortunes responsible for the defeat, rather than the strategies utilised by his enemy during the battle: "...it was only because of the sickness that I burnt my ships and retreated. It is out of all reason for Zhou Yu to take the credit for himself." (Chen c. 280:54:1265).
[edit] Aftermath
By the end of 209, the post Cao Cao had established at Jiangling fell to Zhou Yu. The borders of the land under Cao Cao's control contracted about 160�kilometres (100�miles), to the area around Xiangyang (de Crespigny 2004:291). Liu Bei, on the other hand, had gained territory by taking over the four commanderies south of the Yangtze River. Sun Quan's troops had suffered far greater casualties than Liu Bei's in the extended conflict against Cao Ren following the Battle of Red Cliffs (de Crespigny 2004:291–292), and the death of Zhou Yu in 210 resulted in a drastic weakening of Sun Quan's strength in the Jing province (de Crespigny 2004:297). Liu Bei also occupied the Jing province that Cao Cao had recently lost—a strategic and naturally fortified area on the Yangtze River that Wu claimed for itself. The control of Jing provided Liu Bei with virtually unlimited access to the passage into Shu and important waterways into Wu, as well as dominion of the southern Yangtze River.
Never again would Cao Cao command so large a fleet as he had at Jiangling, nor would a similar opportunity to destroy his southern rivals present itself again (de Crespigny 2007:37). The Battle of Red Cliffs and the capture of Jing province by Liu Bei confirmed the separation of Southern China from the northern heartland of the Yellow River valley, and also foreshadowed a north-south axis of hostility which would resonate for centuries (de Crespigny 2004:260).
[edit] Location
The precise location of the Red Cliffs battlefield has long been the subject of both popular and academic debates, but has never been conclusively established. Scholarly debates have continued for at least 1,350 years (Zhang 2006:215), and a number of arguments in favour of alternative sites have been put forward. There are clear grounds for rejecting at least some of these proposals, but four alternative locations are still advocated. According to Zhang (2006), many of the current debates stem from the fact that the course and length of the Yangtze River between Wuli and Wuhan has changed since the Sui and Tang dynasties (Zhang 2006:225). The modern-day debate is also complicated by the fact that the names of some of the key locations have changed over the following centuries. For example, although modern Huarong city is located in Hunan, south of the Yangtze, in the 3rd century the city of that name was due east of Jiangling, considerably north of the Yangtze (Zhang 2006:229; de Crespigny 2004:256 78n). Moreover, one candidate site, Puqi (蒲圻), was renamed "Chibi City" (赤壁市) in 1998 in a direct attempt to tie this location to the historical battlefield.
Historical records state that Cao Cao's forces retreated north across the Yangtze after the initial engagement at Red Cliffs, unequivocally placing the battle site on the south bank of the Yangtze. For this reason, a number of sites on the north bank have been discounted by historians and geographers. Historical accounts also establish east and west boundaries for a stretch of the Yangtze which encompasses all possible sites for the battlefield. The allied forces travelled upstream from either Fankou or Xiakou. Since the Yangtze flows roughly eastward towards the ocean (with northeast and southeast meanders), Red Cliffs must at least be west of Fankou, which is farther downstream. The westernmost boundary is also clear, since Cao Cao's eastern advance from Jiangling included passing Baqiu (modern Yueyang city in Hunan province) on the shore of Dongting Lake. The battle must also have been downstream (northeast) of that location (de Crespigny 2004:256–257; Zhang 2006:217).
One popular candidate for the battle site is Chibi Hill in Huangzhou, sometimes referred to as "Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs" or the "Literary Red Cliffs" (文赤壁). Support for this conjecture arises largely due to the famous 11th-century poem "First Rhapsody on the Red Cliffs," which equates the Huangzhou Hill with the battlefield location. The pinyin Romanization of this cliff's name is "Chibi", the same as the pinyin for Red Cliffs. However, the Chinese characters are completely different (赤鼻) as is their meaning ("Red Nose Hill"). This site is also on the north bank of the Yangtze, and is directly across from Fankou rather than upstream from it (Zhang 2006:215). Moreover, if the allied Sun/Liu forces left from Xiakou rather than Fankou, as the oldest historical sources suggest, then the hill in Huangzhou would have been downstream from the point of departure, a possibility which cannot be reconciled with historical sources.
Puqi, now named Chibi City, is perhaps the most widely accepted candidate. To differentiate from Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs, the site is also referred to as the "Military Red Cliffs" (武赤壁). It is directly across the Yangtze from Wulin. This argument was first proposed in the early Tang Dynasty (Zhang 2006:217). There are also characters engraved in the cliffs (see image at the top of this page) suggesting that this is the site of the battle. The origin of the engraving can be dated to between the Tang and Song dynasties, making it at least 1,000 years old (Zhang 2006:219;228).
Some sources mention the south banks of the Yangtze in Jiayu County (嘉鱼县) in the prefecture-level city of Xianning in Hubei province as a possible location. This would place the battlefield downstream from Puqi (Chibi City), a view that is supported by scholars of Chinese history such as Rafe de Crespigny, Wang Li and Zhu Dongrun, following the Qing Dynasty historical document Shui Jing Zhu (de Crespigny 2004:256).
Another candidate is Wuhan, which straddles the Yangtze at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers. It is east of both Wulin (and Chibi City across the river) and Jiayu. This metropolis was incorporated by joining three cities. There is a local belief in Wuhan that the battle was fought at the junction of the rivers, southwest of the former Wuchang city, which is now part of Wuhan (de Crespigny 2004:256 n 78). Zhang (2006:215;223) asserts that the Chibi battlefield was one of a set of hills in Wuchang that were levelled in the 1930s so that their stone could be used as raw material. Citing several historical-geographical studies, Zhang (2006) shows that earlier accounts place the battlefield in Wuchang. Sheng Honzhi's 5th-century Jingzhou ji in particular places the Chibi battlefield a distance of 160�li (approximately 80�kilometres (50�mi)) downstream from Wulin, but since the Paizhou and Luxikou meanders increased the length of the Yangtze River between Wuli and Wuchang by 100�li (approximately 50�kilometres (31�mi); see map) some time in the Sui and Tang dynasties (Zhang 2006:225), later works do not regard Wuchang as a possible site.
[edit] Fictionalised account
The romantic tradition that originated with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms differs from historical accounts in many details. For example, Cao Cao's army strength was exaggerated to over 800,000 men. This may be attributed to the ethos of later times, particularly of the Southern Song Dynasty (de Crespigny 2007:483). The Shu kingdom in particular was viewed by later literati as the "legitimate" successor to the Han empire, so fictionalised accounts assign greater prominence than the historical records warrant to the roles of Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang and other heroes from Shu. This is generally accomplished by minimising the importance of Wu commanders and advisors such as Zhou Yu and Lu Su (de Crespigny 2004:xi). While historical accounts describe Lu Su as a sensible advisor and Zhou Yu as an eminent military leader and "generous, sensible and courageous" man, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms depicts Lu Su as unremarkable and Zhou Yu as cruel and cynical (de Crespigny 2004:300; 305–306 29n). Both are depicted as being inferior to Zhuge Liang in every respect (de Crespigny 2004:264).
The romances added wholly fictional and fantastical elements to the historical accounts and these were repeated in popular plays and operas. Examples from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms include Zhuge Liang using magic to call forth favourable winds for the fire ship attack, his strategy of "using straw boats to borrow arrows", and Guan Yu capturing and releasing Cao Cao at Huarong Trail. The fictionalised accounts also name Zhuge Liang as a military commander in the combined forces, which is not historically accurate (de Crespigny 2004:260-264).
[edit] Modern and cultural impact
Modern day Chibi City in Hubei province was formerly named Puqi. In 1998, the Chinese State Council approved the renaming of the city in celebration of the battle at Red Cliffs. Cultural festivals held by the city have dramatically increased tourism. (Xinhua 1997). In 1983, a statue of prominent Song Dynasty poet, Su Shi, was erected at the Huangzhou site of 'Su Dongpo's Red Cliffs' in tribute to his writings regarding Red Cliff (Xinhua 1983).
Popular video games based around the Three Kingdoms era (such as the Dynasty Warriors series, Sangokushi Koumeiden, Destiny of an Emperor and Kessen II) have scenarios that include the battle. Other games utilise the Battle of Red Cliffs as their central focus. These include titles popular in Asia, such as the original Japanese version of Warriors of Fate and Dragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffs.
A 2008 film, directed by John Woo and titled Red Cliff, was intended to showcase the Red Cliff legacy and became a massive box-office success in China.

Summary:
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, (simplified�Chinese: 赤壁之战;�traditional�Chinese: 赤壁之戰;�pinyin: Chì bì zhī zhàn) was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the period of the Three Kingdoms in China. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan and the numerically superior forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao. Liu Bei and Sun Quan successfully frustrated Cao Cao's effort to conquer the land south of the Yangtze River and reunite the territory of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The allied victory at Red Cliffs ensured the survival of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, gave them control of the Yangtze (de Crespigny 2004:273), and provided a line of defence that was the basis for the later creation of the two southern kingdoms of Shu Han (蜀) and Eastern Wu (吳).
Descriptions of the battle differ widely on details, and the location of the battle is fiercely debated (de Crespigny 2004:256 78n). Although its precise location remains uncertain, the majority of academic conjectures place it on the south bank of the Yangtze River, southwest of present-day Wuhan and northeast of Baqiu (modern Yueyang city in Hunan province). The most detailed account of the battle comes from the biography of Zhou Yu in the 3rd century historical text Records of Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Zhi). An exaggerated and romanticised account is also a central event in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.


[edit] Description
Gorgosaurus was smaller than Tyrannosaurus or Tarbosaurus, closer in size to Albertosaurus and Daspletosaurus. Adults reached 8 or 9�meters (26 to 30�ft) from snout to tail. Paleontologists have estimated full-grown adults to weigh more than 2.4�tonnes (2.7�short tons). The largest known skull measures 99�centimeters (39�in) long, just slightly smaller than that of Daspletosaurus. As in other tyrannosaurids, the skull was large compared to its body size, although chambers within the skull bones and large openings (fenestrae) between bones reduced its weight. Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus share proportionally longer and lower skulls than Daspletosaurus and other tyrannosaurids. The end of the snout was blunt, and the nasal and parietal bones were fused along the midline of the skull, as in all other members of the family. The eye socket was circular rather than oval or keyhole-shaped as in other tyrannosaurid genera. A tall crest rose from the lacrimal bone in front of each eye, similar to Albertosaurus and Daspletosaurus. Differences in the shape of bones surrounding the brain set Gorgosaurus apart from Albertosaurus.
Gorgosaurus teeth were typical of all known tyrannosaurids. The eight premaxillary teeth at the front of the snout were smaller than the rest, closely packed and D-shaped in cross section. In Gorgosaurus, the first tooth in the maxilla was also shaped like the premaxillary teeth. The rest of the teeth were oval in cross section, rather than blade-like as in most other theropods. Along with the eight premaxillary teeth, Gorgosaurus had 26 to 30�maxillary teeth and 30 to 34�teeth in the dentary bones of the lower jaw. This number of teeth is similar to Albertosaurus and Daspletosaurus but is fewer than those of Tarbosaurus or Tyrannosaurus.
Gorgosaurus shared its general body plan with all other tyrannosaurids. Its massive head was perched on the end of an S-shaped neck. In contrast to its large head, its forelimbs were very small. The forelimbs had only two digits, although a third metacarpal is known in some specimens, the vestigial remains of the third digit seen in other theropods. Gorgosaurus had four digits on each hindlimb, including a small first toe (hallux) which did not contact the ground. Tyrannosaurid hindlimbs were long relative to overall body size compared with other theropods. The largest known Gorgosaurus femur measured 105�centimeters (41�in) long. In several smaller specimens of Gorgosaurus, the tibia was longer than the femur, a proportion typical of fast-running animals. The two bones were of equal length in the largest specimens. The long, heavy tail served as a counterweight to the head and torso and placed the center of gravity over the hips.
[edit] Classification and systematics
Gorgosaurus is classified in the theropod subfamily Albertosaurinae within the family Tyrannosauridae. It is most closely related to the slightly younger Albertosaurus. These are the only two definite albertosaurine genera that have been described, although other undescribed species may exist. Appalachiosaurus was described as a basal tyrannosauroid just outside Tyrannosauridae, although American paleontologist Thomas Holtz published a phylogenetic analysis in 2004 which indicated it was an albertosaurine. More recent, unpublished work by Holtz agrees with the original assessment. All other tyrannosaurid genera, including Daspletosaurus, Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, are classified in the subfamily Tyrannosaurinae. Compared to the tyrannosaurines, albertosaurines had slender builds, with proportionately smaller, lower skulls and longer bones of the lower leg (tibia) and feet (metatarsals and phalanges).
The close similarities between Gorgosaurus libratus and Albertosaurus sarcophagus have led many experts to combine them into one genus over the years. Albertosaurus was named first, so by convention it is given priority over the name Gorgosaurus, which is sometimes considered its junior synonym. William Diller Matthew and Barnum Brown doubted the distinction of the two genera as early as 1922. Gorgosaurus libratus was formally reassigned to Albertosaurus (as Albertosaurus libratus) by Dale Russell in 1970, and many subsequent authors followed his lead. Combining the two greatly expands the geographical and chronological range of the genus Albertosaurus. Other experts maintain the two genera as separate. Canadian paleontologist Phil Currie claims there are as many anatomical differences between Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus as there are between Daspletosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, which are almost always kept separate. He also notes that undescribed tyrannosaurids discovered in Alaska, New Mexico and elsewhere in North America may help clarify the situation.
[edit] Discovery and naming
Gorgosaurus libratus was first described by Lawrence Lambe in 1914. Its name is derived from the Greek γοργος/gorgos ("fierce" or "terrible") and σαυρος/saurus ("lizard"). The type species is G. libratus; the specific epithet "balanced" is the past participle of the Latin verb librare, meaning "to balance".
The holotype of Gorgosaurus libratus (NMC 2120) is a nearly complete skeleton associated with a skull, discovered in 1913 by Charles M. Sternberg. This specimen was the first tyrannosaurid found with a complete hand. It was found in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta and is housed in the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Prospectors from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City were active along the Red Deer River in Alberta at the same time, collecting hundreds of spectacular dinosaur specimens, including four complete G. libratus skulls, three of which were associated with skeletons. Matthew and Brown described four of these specimens in 1923.
Matthew and Brown also described a fifth skeleton (AMNH 5664), which Charles H. Sternberg had collected in 1917 and sold to their museum. It was smaller than other Gorgosaurus specimens, with a lower, lighter skull and more elongate limb proportions. Many sutures between bones were unfused in this specimen as well. Matthew and Brown noted that these features were characteristic of juvenile tyrannosaurids, but still described it as the holotype of a new species, G. sternbergi. Today's paleontologists regard this specimen as a juvenile G. libratus. Dozens of other specimens have been excavated from the Dinosaur Park Formation and are housed in museums across the United States and Canada. G. libratus is the best-represented tyrannosaurid in the fossil record, known from a virtually complete growth series.
In 1856, Joseph Leidy described two tyrannosaurid premaxillary teeth from Montana. Although there was no indication of what the animal looked like, the teeth were large and robust, and Leidy gave them the name Deinodon. Matthew and Brown commented in 1922 that these teeth were indistinguishable from those of Gorgosaurus, but in the absence of skeletal remains of Deinodon, opted not to synonymize the two genera. Although Deinodon teeth are very similar to those of Gorgosaurus, tyrannosaurid teeth are extremely uniform, so it cannot be said for certain which animal they belonged to. Deinodon is regarded as a nomen dubium today. Several tyrannosaurid skeletons from the Judith River Formation of Montana probably belong to Gorgosaurus, although it remains uncertain whether they belong to G. libratus or a new species. One specimen from Montana (TCMI 2001.89.1), housed in the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, shows evidence of severe pathologies, including healed leg, rib, and vertebral fractures, osteomyelitis (infection) at the tip of the lower jaw resulting in permanent tooth loss, and possibly a brain tumor.
[edit] Misassigned species
Several species were incorrectly assigned to Gorgosaurus in the twentieth century. A complete skull of a small tyrannosaurid (CMNH 7541), found in the younger, late Maastrichtian-age Hell Creek Formation of Montana, was named Gorgosaurus lancensis by Charles Whitney Gilmore in 1946. This specimen was renamed Nanotyrannus by Bob Bakker and colleagues in 1988. Today, most paleontologists recognize Nanotyrannus as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. Similarly, Evgeny Maleev created the names Gorgosaurus lancinator and Gorgosaurus novojilovi for two small tyrannosaurid specimens (PIN 553-1 and PIN 552-2) from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia in 1955. Ken Carpenter renamed the smaller specimen Maleevosaurus novojilovi in 1992, but both are now considered juveniles of Tarbosaurus bataar.
[edit] Paleobiology
[edit] Coexistence with Daspletosaurus
In the Dinosaur Park Formation, Gorgosaurus lived alongside a rarer species of the tyrannosaurine Daspletosaurus. This is one of the few examples of two tyrannosaur genera coexisting. Similar-sized predators in modern predator guilds are separated into different ecological niches by anatomical, behavioral or geographical differences that limit competition. Niche differentiation between the Dinosaur Park tyrannosaurids is not well-understood. In 1970, Dale Russell hypothesized the more common Gorgosaurus actively hunted fleet-footed hadrosaurs, while the rarer and more troublesome ceratopsians and ankylosaurians (horned and heavily armoured dinosaurs) were left to the more heavy-built Daspletosaurus. However, a specimen of Daspletosaurus (OTM 200) from the contemporaneous Two Medicine Formation of Montana preserves the digested remains of a juvenile hadrosaur in its gut region.
Unlike some other groups of dinosaurs, neither genus was more common at higher or lower elevations than the other. However, Gorgosaurus appears more common in northern formations like the Dinosaur Park, with species of Daspletosaurus more abundant to the south. The same pattern is seen in other groups of dinosaurs. Chasmosaurine ceratopsians and hadrosaurine hadrosaurs are also more common in the Two Medicine Formation of Montana and in southwestern North America during the Campanian, while centrosaurine and lambeosaurines dominate in northern latitudes. Holtz has suggested this pattern indicates shared ecological preferences between tyrannosaurines, chasmosaurines and hadrosaurines. At the end of the later Maastrichtian stage, tyrannosaurines like Tyrannosaurus rex, hadrosaurines like Edmontosaurus and chasmosaurines like Triceratops were widespread throughout western North America, while albertosaurines and centrosaurines went extinct, and lambeosaurines were rare.
[edit] Life history
Gregory Erickson and colleagues have studied the growth and life history of tyrannosaurids using bone histology, which can determine the age of a specimen when it died. A growth curve can be developed when the ages of various individuals are plotted against their sizes on a graph. Tyrannosaurids grew throughout their lives, but underwent tremendous growth spurts for about four years, after an extended juvenile phase. Sexual maturity may have ended this rapid growth phase, after which growth slowed down considerably in adult animals. Examining five Gorgosaurus specimens of various sizes, Erickson calculated a maximum growth rate of about 110�kilograms (50�lb) during the rapid growth phase, slower than in tyrannosaurines like Daspletosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, but comparable to Albertosaurus.
Gorgosaurus spent as much as half its life in the juvenile phase before ballooning up to near-maximum size in only a few years. This, along with the complete lack of predators intermediate in size between huge adult tyrannosaurids and other small theropods, suggests these niches may have been filled by juvenile tyrannosaurids. This is seen in modern Komodo dragons, where hatchlings start off as tree-dwelling insectivores and slowly mature into massive apex predators capable of taking down large vertebrates. Other tyrannosaurids, including Albertosaurus, have been found in aggregations that some have suggested to represent mixed-age packs, but there is no evidence of gregarious behavior in Gorgosaurus.
[edit] Paleoecology
All known specimens of Gorgosaurus libratus have been recovered from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta. This formation dates to the middle of the Campanian, between 76.5 and 74�million years ago. At this time, the area was a coastal plain along the western edge of the Western Interior Seaway, which divided North America in half. The Laramide Orogeny had begun uplifting the Rocky Mountains to the west, from which flowed great rivers that deposited eroded sediment in vast floodplains along the coast. The climate was subtropical with marked seasonality, and periodic droughts sometimes resulted in massive mortality among the great herds of dinosaurs, as represented in the numerous bonebed deposits preserved in the Dinosaur Park Formation. Conifers formed the forest canopy, while the understory plants consisted of ferns, tree ferns and angiosperms. Around 73�million years ago, the seaway began to expand, transgressing into areas formerly above sea level and drowning the Dinosaur Park ecosystem. This transgression, called the Bearpaw Sea, is recorded by the marine sediments of the massive Bearpaw Shale.
The Dinosaur Park Formation preserves a great wealth of vertebrate fossils. A wide variety of fish swam the rivers and estuaries, including gars, sturgeons, sharks and rays, among others. Frogs, salamanders, turtles, crocodilians and champsosaurs also dwelled in the aquatic habitats. Azhdarchid pterosaurs and neornithine birds like Apatornis flew overhead, while the enantiornithine bird Avisaurus lived on the ground alongside multituberculate, marsupial and placental mammals. A number of species of terrestrial lizards were also present, including whiptails, skinks, monitors and alligator lizards. Dinosaur fossils in particular are found with unrivaled abundance and diversity. Huge herds of ceratopsids roamed the floodplains alongside equally large groups of hadrosaurine and lambeosaurine hadrosaurs. Other herbivorous groups like ornithomimids, therizinosaurs, pachycephalosaurs, small ornithopods, nodosaurids and ankylosaurids were also represented. Small predatory dinosaurs like oviraptorosaurs, troodonts and dromaeosaurs hunted smaller prey than the huge tyrannosaurids, Daspletosaurus and Gorgosaurus, which were two orders of magnitude larger in mass. Intervening predatory niches may have been filled by young tyrannosaurids.

Summary:
Gorgosaurus (pronounced /ˌɡɔrɡɵˈsɔrəs/ GOR-go-SOR-əs, meaning "fierce lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period, between about 77 and 74�million years ago. Fossil remains have been found in the Canadian province of Alberta and possibly the U.S. state of Montana. Paleontologists recognize only the type species, G. libratus, although other species have been erroneously referred to the genus.
Like most known tyrannosaurids, Gorgosaurus was a bipedal predator weighing more than a metric ton as an adult; dozens of large, sharp teeth lined its jaws, while its two-fingered forelimbs were comparatively small. Gorgosaurus was most closely related to Albertosaurus, and more distantly related to the larger Tyrannosaurus. Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus are extremely similar, distinguished mainly by subtle differences in the teeth and skull bones. Some experts consider G. libratus to be a species of Albertosaurus; this would make Gorgosaurus a junior synonym of that genus.
Gorgosaurus lived in a lush floodplain environment along the edge of an inland sea. An apex predator, it was at the top of the food chain, preying upon abundant ceratopsids and hadrosaurs. In some areas, Gorgosaurus coexisted with another tyrannosaurid, Daspletosaurus. Though these animals were roughly the same size, there is some evidence of niche differentiation between the two. Gorgosaurus is the best-represented tyrannosaurid in the fossil record, known from dozens of specimens. These plentiful remains have allowed scientists to investigate its ontogeny, life history and other aspects of its biology.


[edit] Grand Staircase
The rocks exposed in Bryce Canyon are about 100 million years younger than those in nearby Zion National Park, and the rocks exposed in Zion are younger than those in the Grand Canyon to the south.
There are, however, shared rock units between all three, creating a supersequence of formations that geologists call the Grand Staircase. Together the formations of the Grand Staircase record nearly 2000 million years of the Earth's history. Bryce Canyon's formations are the youngest known units in the Grand Staircase. Younger rock units, if they ever existed, have been removed by erosion.
[edit] Cretaceous Seaway
[edit] Advance
In the Cretaceous a shallow seaway spread into the interior of North America from the Gulf of Mexico in the south into Utah and later to the Arctic Ocean in the far north. Geologists call this shallow sea the Cretaceous Seaway or Western Interior Seaway. Whatever its name, the seaway divided North America into two halves; an eastern portion dominated by the already ancient Appalachian Mountains and a western part composed primarily of the still growing Sevier Mountains; formed from shallow thrust faulting caused by the Sevier orogeny. As the shoreline moved back and forth, the Bryce area alternated from being part of the Sevier landmass to being under the Cretaceous Seaway. Alternating layers of nonmarine, intertidal, and marine sediments lay on top of each other as a result.
Conglomerate, siltstone, and fossil-rich sandstone that together are up to 300�feet (90�m) thick mark the arrival of the Cretaceous Seaway. Called the Dakota Sandstone, it is the oldest formation exposed in the Bryce Canyon area but the youngest one exposed in the Zion and Kolob canyons area to the southwest. Abundant amounts of petrified wood, oyster beds containing millions of fossils and coal are all found in the Dakota. In the Bryce Canyon area this formation can be seen in the Paria Valley where it is found as a lithified blanket sand that probably accumulated on beaches, in lagoons, and vast coal-producing swamps as the Cretaceous Seaway transgressed (advanced inland) over the region and later retreated. It sits unconformably on much older Jurassic formations that are not exposed in the immediate area (see geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area for a discussion about these older sediments).
Mud and silt were deposited on top of the Dakota Formation as the seaway became deeper and calmer in the area. The resulting dark gray to black Tropic Shale records the maximum transgression of the seaway into Utah and is 1,000�feet (300�m) thick in the Paria Amphitheater. It forms the unvegetated badlands seen in the Tropic Valley and is perhaps the most fossil-rich formation in the area; containing numerous straight-shelled and coiled ammonites.
[edit] Retreat
The Cretaceous Seaway was already retreating east and to the south by the time the locally 1,700�feet (520�m) thick Straight Cliffs Formation was deposited. Its members represent various stages in this process. The cliff-forming sandstone of the Tibbet Canyon Member was conformably deposited on top of the Tropic Shale in shallow marine and later near shore environments. Shale and sandstone from the Smoky Hollow Member were deposited on top of its basal layer of coal-rich mudstone in coastal swamps and lagoons on the shore of the seaway. While the alternating layers of shale and sandstone mixed with massive coal deposits of the John Henry Member were laid down in swamps, lagoons and fluvial environments one member, the Drip Tank, is not found in the Bryce Canyon area. This formation erodes into almost unclimbable cliffs and escarpments of whitish to yellow-gray sandstones with comparatively thin interbedded layers of shale and mudstone. Shark teeth are found in the lower parts of the formation.
Lakes and east-flowing rivers became the dominant resting place for sediment following the retreat of the Cretaceous Seaway. The shales and sandstones of the locally 700�feet (210�m) thick Wahweap Formation were deposited in moving water (fluvial setting). This formation is part of the Grey Cliffs of the Grand Staircase mentioned previously. It contains abundant fossils of vertebrates, including dinosaurs such as the hadrosaurs.
[edit] Continental deposition
[edit] Flood plains uplift and erode
A flood plain crossed by rivers and lakes developed in the area. Mud and sand accumulated in this setting to become the gray sandstones and mudstones of the Kaiparowits Formation. This formation is up to 100�feet (30�m) thick in the Bryce Canyon area but other parts of the Kaiparowits in the region are several hundreds of feet (tens of meters) thick. Two formations, the Canaan Peak and the Pine Hollow, sit on top of the Kaiparowits elsewhere in the region but are absent in the Bryce Canyon area. The sandstones and conglomerates of these formations record stream and river deposition starting in the Paleocene epoch.
Uplift caused by a mountain-building episode called the Laramide orogeny lasted from the late Cretaceous around 70�mya to the early Paleocene. This hoisted the once lower uplands skyward while low-lying basins between them gradually subsided. Compression from the Laramide event deformed the land in the area to form the up to 5° dipping Bryce Canyon Anticline. All of the Canaan Peak, Pine Hollow, Kaiparowits, and Waheap formations, along with part of the underlying Straight Cliffs, were removed from the anticline's crest by erosion before the Claron Formation was deposited. An angular unconformity therefore exists along the anticline's crest. The park also sits on the western gently dipping flank of the much larger Kaibab uplift, which was also formed as a result of the Laramide.
[edit] Claron flood plain and lake system
Uplift from the Laramide paused briefly in the Eocene. Meandering streams flowed slowly over the resulting broad and almost featureless plains. Periodic but extensive floods inundated large areas perhaps once every 1,000 years; spreading mud, cobbles and fine silt over the plains. Erosion incised these deposits between flood events and plant growth was abundant. Oxidation of the iron in the mud and silt turned the soil into hematite, giving it a pink and red hue. These sediments were later lithified into the up to 700�feet (210�m) thick Pink Member of the locally Eocene-aged Claron Formation (previously called the Wasatch Formation). Channelized conglomerates of this member can be easily seen in Red Canyon along State Route 12 while its silt and mudstones compose most of the park's fragile and colorful spires called hoodoos. Geologist Clarence Dutton called the iron oxide-rich lower member of the Claron the Pink Cliffs series due to its colorful appearance.
A large system of shallow but expansive lakes and associated deltas covered several thousand square miles of what is now northwest Colorado and southwest Utah and Wyoming. These lakes existed from the Paleocene to mid Oligocene but did not spread to the Bryce Canyon area until Eocene time. Large quantities of lakebed sediments were laid down in this system during the 20 million years of its existence from about 60 to 40�mya. Climate change and cycles caused the lakes in the system to expand and shrink through time. As they did so, they left beds of differing thickness and composition stacked atop one another;
The limey ooses and mud were later lithified into the limestone and interbedded siltstone of the up to 300�foot (90�m) thick White Member of the Claron. This member erodes into white-colored monoliths that are only found at the highest elevations of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Fossils are rare in the White Member and mainly consist of freshwater snails and clams, indicating that the lakes supported little life. Most arches and natural bridges in the park, including the famous Natural Bridge, were carved from sandstone beds in the Claron.
[edit] Marysvale volcanics
A gap in the geologic record following deposition of the Claron Formation was interrupted 34 to 31�mya by eruptions from the nearby Marysvale volcanic field, which is located northwest of the park. Volcanic ash and lava from these flows are found less than 20�miles (30�km) from Bryce Canyon but at least some volcanic material was likely deposited directly in the park area only to be later removed by erosion.
Most of the activity at the Marysvale volcanic field occurred during three separate intervals; ~34–22�mya, 22–14�mya and 9–5�mya. Dacites and andesites were erupted above an evolving batholith in the first interval. Crystal-rich ash from the 27�million year old (myo) Three Creeks caldera, 24�myo Big John caldera and 23�myo Monroe Peak caldera hardened into tuff. The second and third intervals saw eruptions of great quantities of rhyolites. Alkali-rich rhyolite erupted in the second interval from the 19�myo Mount Belknap caldera.
The Marysvale volcanic field collapsed under its own weight around 20�mya; likely due to weaknesses in the evaporites of the Carmel Formation some 5,000�feet (1,500�m) below. Folding and faulting of the Claron Formation from the collapse created Ruby's Inn thrust. A slight downwarp running east–west and perpendicular to the thrust motion called the Bryce syncline was also created. Volcanic activity in the Marysvale and Bryce area ceased some 500,000 years ago. Basaltic rocks of the same age can be seen along the Sevier Fault near the entrance to Red Canyon; the dark colored volcanic rocks have been displaced by the fault some 900�feet (300�m) and are now in direct contact with the much older Claron Formation.
[edit] Late Cenozoic tectonics
[edit] Formation of the High Plateaus
Younger rock units were laid down but were mostly removed by subsequent uplift-accelerated erosion. Outcrops of these formations can be found in the northern part of the park and in a few places on the plateau rim. Among these are the 50- to 100-foot-thick (15 to 30�m) Oligocene or Miocene-aged Boat Mesa Conglomerate and the Pliocene to early Pleistocene-aged Sevier River Formation. The Boat Mesa is made mostly of conglomerates with minor amounts of sandstone and some limestone from lakes, representing stream and overbank flood deposits. The brownish-gray sandstone and gravels of the Sevier River Formation were laid down in valleys that were part of the ancestral Sevier River drainage system.
Around 15�mya in Miocene time, tensional forces in Nevada to the west were so great that the crust was spread thin, creating the Basin and Range Province. These same forces segmented what is now the western part of the Colorado Plateau into nine different smaller plateaus, including the Paunsaugunt that the park sits astride. Long, north–south-trending normal faults were either newly created or reactivated from older pre-existing faults; a plateau rose on one side of each fault while valleys subsided on the other as the crust was extended in an east-west direction. Two of these faults bound the Paunsaugunt Plateau; the Sevier on the west and the Paunsaugunt on the east. Movement along these two faults has displaced the Claron Formation by 2,000�feet (600�m) relative to the Paria and Sevier valleys.
The Hurricane Fault marks the west edge of the Markagunt Plateau and is the topographic boundary between the Basin and Range and the Colorado Plateaus provinces. Cedar Breaks National Monument, which shares almost the same exposed geology and erosional features as Bryce Canyon National Park, sits on the west edge of the Markagunt.
The entire Colorado Plateau then started to uplift from near sea level to several thousand feet (over a kilometer) in elevation. An alternate theory is that the Laramide orogeny uplifted what is today the Basin and Range and the Colorado Plateau and that the tensional forces that formed the Basin and Range caused that region to subside relative to the Colorado Plateau. Whatever the order of events were, the High Plateaus region of the Colorado Plateau were by now nearly complete.
[edit] Modern drainage and erosion
Drainage of the Colorado Plateau was significantly altered by the opening of the Gulf of California. Rifting tore Baja California Peninsula northwestward from the Mexican mainland starting some 10 to 5�mya. The ancestral Colorado River responded to the regional downwarping by taking a shortcut to the sea by flowing into the new gulf. This significantly decreased the distance from the river's headwaters and its delta at the sea. Water in the Colorado and its tributaries moved faster as a result and cut down deeper, creating the canyonland topography.
Formation of approximately the current depth of the Colorado River's Grand Canyon by 1.2 mya further caused its tributaries to cut down even deeper. Headward erosion of one of those tributaries, the Paria River, eroded north-northwestward toward what is now Paria Amphitheater. The river took a route roughly parallel to and east of the Paunsaugunt Fault. Erosion from snow and rain that fall directly on the east-facing rim of the Paunsaugunt Plateau forms gullies that widen into alcoves and amphitheaters while differential erosion and frost wedging create the hoodoos. Streams on the plateau do not contribute to the formation of alcoves or amphitheaters because they flow away from the rim. Erosion continues in this fashion today.
[edit] Hoodoo formation in Bryce Canyon
The Pink Member of the Claron Formation is largely composed of easily eroded and relatively soft limestone. When rain combines with carbon dioxide it forms a weak solution of carbonic acid. This acid helps to slowly dissolve the limestone in the Claron Formation grain by grain. It is this process of chemical weathering that rounds the edges of hoodoos and gives them their lumpy and bulging profiles.
In the winter, melting snow seeps into cracks and joints and freezes at night. The force of the expanding ice helps to erode the rock of the Claron Formation. Over 200 of these freeze/thaw cycles occur each year in Bryce Canyon. Frost wedging exploits and widens the nearly vertical joint planes that divide the Pink Member of the Claron Formation.
Internal layers of mudstone, conglomerate and siltstone interrupt the limestone horizontally. These layers are more resistant to attack by carbonic acid and they can therefore act as protective capstones of fins, windows and hoodoos. Many of the more durable hoodoos are capped with a type of magnesium-rich limestone called dolomite. Dolomite dissolves at a much slower rate, and consequently protects the weaker limestone underneath.
However, the same processes that create hoodoos will also eventually destroy them. In the case of Bryce Canyon, the hoodoos' rate of erosion is 2–4�feet (0.6–1.3�m) every 100 years. As the canyon continues to erode to the west it will eventually capture (in perhaps 3 million years) the watershed of the East Fork of the Sevier River. Once this river flows through Bryce Amphitheater it will dominate the erosional pattern; replacing hoodoos with a V-shaped canyon and steep cliff walls typical of the weathering and erosional patterns created by rivers. A foreshadowing of this can be observed in Water Canyon while hiking the Mossy Cave Trail. A diversion canal has been taking a portion of the East Fork of the Sevier River through this section of the park for over 100 years.

Summary:
The exposed geology of the Bryce Canyon area in Utah shows a record of deposition that covers the last part of the Cretaceous Period and the first half of the Cenozoic era in that part of North America. The ancient depositional environment of the region around what is now Bryce Canyon National Park varied from the warm shallow sea (called the Cretaceous Seaway) in which the Dakota Sandstone and the Tropic Shale were deposited to the cool streams and lakes that contributed sediment to the colorful Claron Formation that dominates the park's amphitheaters.
Other formations were also formed but were mostly eroded following uplift from the Laramide orogeny which started around 70�million years ago (mya). This event created the Rocky Mountains far to the east and helped to close the sea that covered the area. A large part of western North America started to stretch itself into the nearby Basin and Range topography around 15�mya. While not part of this region, the greater Bryce area was stretched into the High Plateaus by the same forces. Uplift of the Colorado Plateaus and the opening of the Gulf of California by 5�mya changed the drainage of the Colorado River and its tributaries, including the Paria River, which is eroding headward in between two plateaus adjacent to the park. The uplift caused vertical joints to form which were later preferentially eroded to form the free-standing pinnacles called hoodoos, badlands, and monoliths we see today.
The formations exposed in the area of the park are part of the Grand Staircase. The oldest members of this supersequence of rock units are exposed in the Grand Canyon, the intermediate ones in Zion National Park, and its youngest parts are laid bare in Bryce Canyon area. A small amount of overlap occurs in and around each park.


[edit] Early life
Joel Selwood was born to Bryce and Maree Selwood in the country town of Bendigo, Victoria. He was raised in a family of sportspeople. His mother Maree was a top runner and tennis player, and elder twins Adam and Troy were identified as talented footballers at a young age. As a two-year-old, Selwood was forced to wear splints on his leg to help overcome a walking disability.
Selwood displayed athletic talent from an early age. He was the state hurdling champion from under-10s through to the under-15s, and in one year held every running and jumping record at the Bendigo Sports Centre, except the 100�metres sprint. Growing up with his older brothers, Selwood was accustomed to playing with bigger teammates and opponents. By the time he was eight years old, he had played his first competitive game of football, against children four years his senior, and had kicked three goals.
Selwood played junior football with the Sandhurst Football Club, until he was chosen to play for the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup competition throughout 2006. Although his age made him ineligible to enter the 2005 AFL Draft, Selwood's accomplishments during the year led to AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan rating him "the best 17-year-old in Australia". Selwood received an array of accolades and honours as a bottom-aged player, winning mid-year State honours for Victoria Country in the AFL National Championships. His performances in the championships earned him end-of-year All-Australian honours and the Most Valuable Player award for Victoria Country. In addition, he was named in the TAC Cup Team of the Year, awarded a scholarship within the prestigious AIS-AFL Academy, and subsequently captained his older teammates in the annual under-18s International Rules Series in Ireland. His performances in Ireland earned him the Ron Barassi Medal, as the adjudicated Most Valuable Player of the tour. Selwood's achievements in local football were recognised when he was listed as a finalist in the 2006 Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Award.
Returning in 2006 with the Pioneers, Selwood entered his final year of junior football as one of the top rated prospects in his age group. His achievements at the junior level were recognised early by the AFL Player's Association, when he was awarded the Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarship, and the AFL Life Members Education Fund Award. Rewarded with the captaincy of Bendigo for his final season, Selwood again won mid-year State honours for Victoria Country. However, a knee injury occurred only six rounds into the competition forcing him to undergo surgery—his fourth knee operation within two years—prematurely ending his season.
[edit] AFL career
[edit] 2007: Debut
Selwood was drafted by the Geelong Football Club with their first selection, and was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2006 AFL Draft. Although many recruiting scouts viewed him as "the finest pure footballer in the draft", and a potential top pick, there was still concern surrounding the durability of his knee. Nonetheless, as the equal highest-ever draft pick for the Cats, Selwood made his debut in the opening round of the 2007 AFL premiership season and missed only four games during the regular season.
Selwood's transition to the AFL drew positive comments throughout the footballing community; former Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews noted how "from [his] first game ... he looked like he had played 200 of them". Geelong coach Mark Thompson labelled the 18-year-old Selwood the best youngster to have come under his tutelage during his time at the club. From the beginning, Selwood showed an ability to influence games; in just his fourth appearance he led his older and more experienced teammates with a game of 25�disposals and nine tackles. This achievement, described as inspiring, earned him an AFL Rising Star Award nomination. The Geelong coaching staff had a highlights package made of this performance, to screen to the rest of the team during the match review later that week. Selwood's impact on the game as a first–year player prompted numerous comparisons to Chris Judd, who a few years earlier had been lauded for his first-year success as an 18-year-old.
At the conclusion of the home and away period, Selwood's regular contributions resulted in several individual accolades. Polling 44 out of a possible 45�votes, he was awarded the inaugural Ron Evans Medal as the winner of the AFL Rising Star Award. Selwood earned the maximum five votes from eight of the nine judges, the other awarding him four out of five. This meant that eight of the nine judges rated him as the best nominee. Selwood was also awarded the prestigious AFLPA Best First Year Player Award, winning over 70% of all votes from his peers. He became only the fourth player to win both the major awards for first–year players.
Having helped Geelong finish first on the ladder and win the McClelland Trophy, Selwood made his finals debut in the 2nd Qualifying Final against the Kangaroos (now North Melbourne) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In front of nearly 80,000�spectators, Selwood amassed 22�disposals, five marks, five clearances, six inside 50s, five tackles, and five score assists, helping Geelong to a club finals record 106�point victory. Although Selwood struggled to contribute in the Preliminary Final against Collingwood two weeks later, he returned to form for the 2007 AFL Grand Final at the MCG against Port Adelaide. With 18�disposals, five marks, five clearances—the most of any Geelong player—seven inside 50s, four tackles, and an equal game-high four score assists, Selwood helped the Cats to a record 119�point win. At 19�years of age, Selwood became the youngest person to play in a winning Grand Final team in 10�years. He was also the first to win the AFL Rising Star Award and play in a premiership side within the same season, making him one of the most accomplished first�year players in league history. Selwood's debut year achievements resulted in his becoming AFL's highest-paid first–year player.
Selwood finished the season ranked first among all first–year players in several major statistical categories; total possessions (405), disposals per game (19.3), kicks (216), handpasses (189), marks (109), tackles (94)—the most ever by any first–year AFL player —and tackles per game (4.5). His 23�score assists during the season also ranked him within the top ten in the league. Selwood added to his list of first�year honours at season's end with the Geelong Football Club Best First Year Player Award, along with a top 20 placing in the Club Champion award. He also received several media end�of�year sporting awards.
[edit] 2008: "Boy wonder"
Selwood continued to establish himself as a key player in the Geelong midfield during the 2008 AFL season, helping the Cats achieve a record-equalling 21-win season and secure the McClelland Trophy for the second successive year. Selwood also claimed the third–longest all-time winning streak by an individual player in VFL/AFL history; 25�successive wins before a mid-season loss to Collingwood. His standout season was rewarded when he was selected to play for Victoria in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match All-Star event. In gaining selection for the Victorian team, Selwood, at 19�years of age, became the youngest player to represent "The Big V" in more than 12�years. He was also selected for the preliminary 2008 All-Australian squad, placed sixth for the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA Most Valuable Player, and finished third in voting for the Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award. Selwood also polled 19�votes in the Brownlow Medal, awarded to the "best and fairest" player in the AFL, to place fifth overall, and second among his teammates. Selwood's consistency and performances over his first two seasons was also recognised by the AFL Coaches Association, who awarded him the Best Young Player Award. Geelong qualified for the finals series and progressed to the Grand Final for the second consecutive year, but were defeated by Hawthorn. Selwood's performance in the final, during which he gathered 29�disposals—including a team-high nine contested possessions—six marks, six tackles, and six inside 50s, were recognised as he placed fourth in Norm Smith Medal voting for best afield in the Grand Final.
Selwood's year, during which he averaged more than 25�disposals, 4�marks, and 4�tackles per game, was also rewarded with a top five finish in the Carji Greeves Medal (Geelong's Best and Fairest). He finished the season ranked within the top ten in the league for possessions (613), disposals per game (25.5), and handpasses (327). His total of 63�free kicks earned during the season was also the highest recorded since the AFL began in 1990, breaking the previous record of 54 set by Luke Darcy five years earlier.
With his rookie contract due to expire, concern mounted during the year over Geelong's ability to retain Selwood beyond the season. With almost half of their premiership–winning team out of contract, Geelong could only offer contracts paying significantly less than other clubs. However, Selwood signed a new two–year deal with the club, citing "club success and future opportunities" as his reasons for accepting the reduced salary.
[edit] 2009: Premiership pedigree
Before the 2009 AFL season, Selwood was appointed to the club's seven-man leadership group at just 20�years of age. After the 2008 Grand Final loss ended Geelong's previous season, Selwood and his teammates began their 2009 campaign by capturing the pre-season NAB Cup for the second time in four years. Selwood's 33�disposals, 11�clearances, and 2�goals earned him the Michael Tuck Medal as the player adjudged best afield in this final. In round five, Selwood made his 50th senior appearance, setting a new VFL/AFL record for the highest percentage of wins inside 50�games. His involvement in 46�victories set a winning percentage of 92 percent. In addition, Selwood's 50th appearance coincided with the club's own record-setting effort for the most successful 50�game stretch in VFL/AFL history. Geelong had won 47 out of 50�games—Selwood had been involved in 46—eclipsing Essendon's return of 46�wins and 4�losses during their dominant stretch during the 1999–2001 seasons.
During the round seventeen Grand Final rematch against Hawthorn, Selwood achieved career highs of 42�disposals, 10�marks, and 11�tackles. Geelong midfielder Cameron Ling described Selwood's performance as: "Absolutely amazing... He just single-handedly lifted the whole group with his intensity around the ball. It's surprising that he's only in his third year. He's something pretty special". Selwood helped Geelong compile an 18-4 win-loss record during the season to become the first team in league history to produce three consecutive home and away campaigns with 18 or more wins. Geelong qualified for the finals series in second position on the ladder, before reaching the preliminary final for the third consecutive season. Selwood matched a career–high in finals games with 29�disposals and 9�marks during the Cats 73�point win over Collingwood, leading the club to their third successive Grand Final appearance. During the final against St Kilda, Selwood addressed the playing group with a "stirring speech" as Geelong entered the half–time break trailing by 6�points. Teammate Andrew Mackie lauded Selwood as "a born leader" and credited the team's second half turnaround to Selwood's reminder to "go back to basics and focus upon tackling". Selwood finished the game with 24�disposals—including a team–high 12�contested possessions and equal game–high 16�handpasses—4�marks, 6�clearances, a team–high 10�first possessions, 3�tackles, and 1�goal to help the Cats record a 12�point win and secure their second premiership in three seasons.
Selwood's standout year was recognised by his peers when he became the youngest-ever winner of the AFLPA Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award, and placed fifth for the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA Most Valuable Player. Selwood also finished sixth in the Brownlow Medal, polling 16�votes to finish second at Geelong behind eventual winner Gary Ablett. He became the first footballer to win the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Award, adding to his season's list of accolades. After averaging 28�disposals and 5�tackles per game over the course of the season, Selwood was also awarded with All-Australian honours for the first time in his career and a second successive top five placing for the Carji Greeves Medal. Selwood finished the year ranked fourth in the league for total disposals (691), third for total handpasses (389), second for contested possessions (236) and eighth for hard-ball gets. For the second successive season, he also led the league for total free kicks earned (59) and finished the year ranked within the top five at Geelong in several major statistical categories.
[edit] Player profile
Selwood is primarily regarded as an inside midfielder, and is noted for his physical approach, his ability to find space on the ground, and for winning the ball. Leigh Matthews has complimented Selwood as "already the best wet-weather player in the game", a view shared by Nathan Buckley, who notes that Selwood "plays with a physicality and intensity that is the benchmark of the competition, consistently (finding) third and fourth efforts to win the contested ball". Two-time Most Courageous Player Award winner Jonathan Brown has also praised Selwood for his physical and courageous approach to winning the football, describing him as "one of the blokes (all players) within the AFL love watching". Selwood's teammates Joel Corey and Cameron Ling have also acknowledged his maturity. They regard him as one of the most physical players in the game.
Selwood has stated his career intention to "work really hard on the basics". Despite his admitting to being "not the fastest player, or most skillful", his hard running, tackling and one percent plays are important elements to his overall game. Because of his aggressive style-of-play, Selwood has gathered a reputation as a "head–over–the–ball specialist" and for consistently putting himself in positions to win free kicks. His ability to "buckle his knees, (get) down and pull his arm up so that the tackler's arm goes up above the neck" is reflected in his regular standing among league leaders for total free kicks received. As of 2009, Selwood also holds the AFL record for highest career average for frees received per game (2.28). Since his arrival at the club his leadership ability has often been praised, leading to predictions of a future post as club captain.
During his first three seasons at Geelong, Selwood's all-around ability to contribute as an attacking inside or outside midfielder has been highlighted by his regular ranking among the top five at the club for total disposals, clearances, first possessions, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, tackles, inside 50s, and score assists. As of 2009, Selwood holds the highest career average for disposals per game among currently active players (24.4) and the second-highest career average for handpasses per game (12.9). Buckley has complimented Selwood's all-around game, making note of his "(preparedness) to pressure the opposition in defence as ferociously as he attacks". Throughout his career, Selwood has carried an above–average disposal efficiency of 75%. Footballing experts have praised his decision-making ability when considering his overall productivity with the football. However, his lack of natural leg speed is considered one of his more notable weaknesses.
[edit] Personal life
Selwood is the third of four children born to Bryce and Maree Selwood. He has three brothers, all listed with AFL clubs; two older brothers, twins Adam (playing with West Coast) and Troy (Brisbane) and a younger brother, Scott (West Coast). Maree was awarded the 2005 AFL Players Association Mother of the Year Award for her contribution to football through each of her sons. Selwood is also a descendant of the three Crapper brothers, granduncles to Maree, each of whom played VFL football in the 1930s.
Since winning the National Australia Bank-sponsored AFL Rising Star Award, Selwood has been involved in several promotions for the bank, in an ambassadorial role and in several television advertisement appearances. He is also an ambassador for the AFL's junior development program, Auskick, annually acting as a mentor for the junior player deemed 'Auskicker of the Year'. Along with his parents and brothers, Selwood works on behalf of the Seeing Eye Dogs Association (SEDA) organisation. Selwood and his family sponsor pups who are being trained as a seeing eye dogs—one named "Selwood" in his family's honour. SEDA has said that the family's widespread dispersal around Australia, with Adam and Scott in Western Australia, Troy in Queensland, and Joel remaining in Victoria, has helped to publicise the organisation's nationwide activity.
Early success on the field has led to several endorsement and promotional deals with companies including Asics and Smith's. These have seen Selwood participate in promotional appearances with rugby league player Greg Inglis and several television advertisements with AFL Hall of Famer Peter Daicos. Selwood also features in a special edition Monopoly AFL premiership gameboard, occupying Bow Street.
Selwood has been a life-long supporter of the Geelong Football Club, and cites the club's own Hall of Fame member Gary Ablett as a childhood idol, along with Sydney premiership captains Paul Kelly and Brett Kirk. He currently resides in Geelong West, where he lives with a pair of childhood friends. Prior to the 2009 AFL premiership season, Selwood was elected to the AFL Players Association committee as the Geelong alternate delegate representative.
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[edit] Honours and achievements
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Summary:
Joel Anthony Selwood (born 26 May 1988) is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A midfielder, 1.82�metres (6.0�ft) tall and weighing 86�kilograms (190�lb), Selwood is able to contribute inside or outside while on the ball.
A standout junior track and field athlete and footballer, Selwood entered top-level football early, joining the TAC Cup competition as a bottom-aged player. His accomplishments as a junior included Most Valuable Player awards at state and international levels, captaining Australia in the International Rules Series, and selection in the All-Australian and TAC Cup Team of the Year sides. Despite a serious knee injury during his final year of junior football, Selwood was selected with Geelong's first pick, and seventh overall, in the 2006 AFL Draft.
Selwood made his AFL debut in 2007, winning the AFL Rising Star Award and AFLPA Best First Year Player Award. He has since become a dual premiership player, an All-Australian, and the youngest-ever recipient of the AFLPA Robert Rose Most Courageous Player Award. Selwood has also represented the Victorian state team as the youngest player to feature in the all-star event, and was awarded the Michael Tuck Medal following Geelong's 2009 NAB Cup victory. As of 2009, Selwood holds the highest winning–percentage record of any player in VFL/AFL history, helping the club reach three successive AFL Grand Finals.
Selwood's on-field success has led to several commercial and ambassadorial deals with companies including: Asics, Smith's, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, National Australia Bank and Auskick.