Geelong West Giants coach Greg Mellor said the decision to play former AFL star Heath Shaw on the weekend was made with consultation from the leadership group, which had considered the pros and cons.
In the end there were plenty of pros and not really any cons, so the decision was an easy one.
Shaw played 325 AFL games for Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney and made a one-off appearance for Geelong West in the Geelong Football League against Lara on May 10.
Mellor said he had to weigh up whether having the 2010 premiership star for one game would benefit the club.
“We benefited significantly from it,” he said.
“We felt like there was an opportunity because we already had a couple of changes anyway from our senior side… Lachie Taylor was suspended and David Hanley was injured. With such a really young team with our senior group, there’s eleven players twenty and under, so I just think for the overall balance of the footy club, it was a positive.”
Mellor said Shaw brought more to the club than playing footy.
“He played for nothing, he paid his own registration fee,” he said.
“He just gave his all, his time and energy and he was committed. I said ‘where do you want to play?’ and he said ‘mate, you’re the coach, I’ll play anywhere’.”
The Giants debuted Oscar Leavold on the day and he was presented with his jumper alongside Shaw.
“He (Shaw) embraced all of that and the jumper presentation and he got his and said ‘look, I’m really competitive and I’m competitive at everything you guys – I want to win and I want to play well’.”
Shaw even bobbed up for a goal late in the game. Lachie Horniblow had nine majors, but passed it off to Shaw, who kicked truly from 40 metres out on the boundary line and turned to the crowd to celebrate before being mobbed by his new teammates.
“He’s a bloke who’s nearly 40, he’s just invested in the game and invested in playing the right way and the players just loved it,” Mellor said.
“He was just a terrific human really.”
