IT’S become a running joke among AFL commentators.

Geelong’s star skipper Joel Selwood cops a whack and is forced off under the blood rule.

“Surprise, surprise, look who it is coming off?” is the common theme among the game’s callers.

And it’s little wonder. A look at the stats of players forced off under the blood rule shows just how much of the brunt Selwood is copping at the Cats.

On Sunday it happened again, the Geelong star forced from the field as he and Demons youngster Jack Viney exchanged pleasantries on their way off Simonds Stadium.

While he’s always been a battering ram with the way he goes about it, this season Selwood is being forced from the field more than ever in 2015.

In Tuesday’s Herald Sun we revealed the Cats champ was a little down on previous seasons, his ratio of contested possessions well up as he’s been forced to do much of the heavy lifting in the absence of names like Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly and Mitch Duncan, while Steve Johnson has been spending more time forward.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: SINKING SELWOOD NEEDS DANGER’S HELP

As a result, opposition teams have narrowed their sights even more onto the fearless Cat, knowing if they can stop Selwood, there’s a good chance they can stop Geelong.

While teams aren’t doing anything untoward regarding Selwood, he’s been forced to leave the field a staggering seven times - from just 12 matches this season - under the blood rule.

They’re extraordinary numbers, even for a man who’s been forced from the ground with claret on 22 occasions throughout his career.

The next most from any player in 2015? Two.

BLOOD RULE 2015 (Rounds 1-12):

PLAYER CLUB NO. OF TIMES Joel Selwood Geel 7 Jeremy Cameron GWS 2 Nick Vlastuin Rich 2 Dan Hannebery Syd 2 (49 others) all 1

media_camera Essendon skipper Jobe Watson always puts his head over the footy.

BLOOD RULES DURING JOEL SELWOOD’S CAREER (2007 — Round 12 2015):

PLAYER CLUB NO. OF TIMES Joel Selwood Geel 22 Ben McEvoy St K/Haw 13 Steve Johnson Geel 11 Nick Dal Santo St K/NM 9 Jobe Watson Ess 9 Luke Hodge Haw 9 Luke Ball St K/Coll 8

** Stats courtesy of Champion Data