Former Geelong captain Joel Selwood has thrown his support behind a push to save lives this summer.

The AFL great, who is a former lifeguard himself, is urging Australians to always swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches.

“We’re just hoping to stop those drownings and remind people it’s a time to be safe,” he told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY below to hear Joel Selwood’s message

With men are nine times as likely as women to drown, Selwood urged men to take care around the water.

“Don’t try and be the hero,” he said.

There were 141 coastal drowning deaths across the country last year, the highest number on record.

Image: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos via Getty Images