Grand final loss will be Adam Tomlinson’s last game for GWS, Heath Shaw will play on
Adam Tomlinson’s mother says the Grand Final was her son’s last game for the Giants. But as he prepares for a trade to a Melbourne-based club, the move is tinged with sadness.
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Phil Davis and Adam Tomlinson are hugging and they’re not letting go.
Crying into each other’s arms, the pair stand alone in their own bubble of pain and disappointment.
Davis has saved his worst game for the last game, and questions will rage over whether he should have played with his calf injury.
But Tomlinson has just played his last game for the Giants as he seeks a trade to a Melbourne-based club. The Demons are his likely home in 2020.
He has mother Kaye describes as “double sadness”.
“It’s his last game for the Giants. He’s leaving his wonderful friends and this wonderful club that we’ve all become a part of, so we’re all very sad,” Mrs Tomlinson says.
“Adam and Phil are very good mates. He lived with Phil for the first couple of years and Phil’s been a great support and mentor to Adam.
“But Adam has always been able to come through things when they’ve been tough. I don’t know why but he just does and gets up and keeps going.”
They were applauded as they trudged into the rooms with tears welling, and one by one the Giants players fall into the arms of loved ones.
Heath Shaw is consoled by father Ray and brother and North Melbourne coach Rhyce as retirement seemingly beckons.
And it may well have before Giants chief executive Dave Matthews grabbed Shaw, 33, as they walked off the MCG.
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“He said: ‘Mate, you can’t go anywhere, you have to come for one more year,” Shaw says.
“I said that if we won the premiership I’d retire, but we didn’t so we’ll figure it out, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got unfinished business.
“This was a tough pill to swallow. For a quarter and 10 mins we played the way we wanted and then the Tigers took over.
“They‘re a very good team and when they went to the next level, we didn’t. That was the story.”
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Matthews is scanning the room.
“We’re obviously not the biggest club, but we’re a powerful club now,” Matthews says.
“We plan on being back here again sooner rather than later. It’s a big mountain to climb, though, isn’t it?
“We know our best is good enough, but we came up against a very good opposition today.”
Behind Matthews, Toby Greene is sobbing. Mum Kate gives her son a big cuddle and whispers in his ear.
“I said: ‘You should be proud of yourself, proud of your team and you can hold your head high’,” Mrs Greene says.
“He will take it hard and that’s Toby. This is his life. He loves football and losing hurts.
“But we know there’s worse things that can happen and it’s just a game and they’ve done really well.”
Craig Lambert played 123 games for Richmond and won the Jack Dyer Medal in 1991. Yet here is wearing a Giants scarf having been one of the club’s founding fathers as welfare manager.
“It’s amazing, given in those early years a lot of these guys were probably thinking, ‘What are we doing here?’” Lambert says.
“Through their resilience and their families they have found a way to connect, to love each other and build a culture.
“Today wasn’t their day, but I can guarantee you they will have their moment.”
Daniel Lloyd’s kids run to him, Harry Himmelberg is wrapped up by his mum and Josh Kelly cuddles his girlfriend, ice strapped to his hamstring after a quiet 15-possession game.
Jeremy Cameron kicked the first goal of the Grand Final, but was then starved of opportunities as Richmond ripped the game away from the Coleman Medallist and his teammates.
“It’s a really hard feeling at the moment. It’s a little bit embarrassing the way the scoreboard blew out in the end,” Cameron says.
“It is a game, but it’s moments like this that make winning so good. It’s crazy to think of the feeling we had last week (after beating Collingwood) compared to the feeling we have right now. But that’s what makes sport so good.
“We can fall away and not want to get back or we can work harder and get better and I know what way this group will go.”
SHAW: I’VE GOT UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Heath Shaw has declared he will play on for a 17th season, refusing to walk away when there is unfinished business.
The GWS veteran had told teammates he would retire if the Giants had lifted the Cup, but the humiliation of defeat has made Shaw’s mind up that he must play on after his 34th birthday.
Giants chief executive Dave Matthews made a beeline to Shaw in the wake of the crushing 89-point horror show and asked him to play on.
Shaw’s body has held up well despite knee surgery last year and the Giants need old heads amongst the young stars.
“I spoke to Dave Matthews when I was walking off the ground and he said, ‘mate, you can’t go anywhere. You have to come for one more year,’” said Shaw.
“I said to a few of the boys that if we won a premiership, then I’d retire. But we didn’t win it, so we’ll figure it out in the next couple of weeks.
“I’m not going anywhere and I’ve got a little bit of unfinished business.”
Few players wear their heart on their sleeve like Shaw. And as he walked back into the Giants sheds a shaken man, he was comforted by his football rich family, including brother, Rhys, the coach of North Melbourne.
Shaw admits the worst grand final loss in 59 years would take some getting over for GWS players.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow. You sort of forget about the previous 25 weeks because of the one week that was so disappointing,” he said.
“For this group, the journey to get to here was really good. The three previous weeks were really good. For a quarter and 10 minutes, we played the way we wanted to, and then, the Tigers took over.
“They’re a very good team. When they went to the next level, we didn’t.
“That was the story of the rest of the game. They were at the next level and we didn’t get to that level.
“In a way, we tried to force things that weren’t there. That sort of escalated to make it worse.
“There won’t be a lot of words. Looking at guys and you put your arm around them, probably see the eyes well up a little bit.
“It’s hard to say anything because you know how they’re feeling. Even a 33-year-old gets a bit upset with how that game panned out.
“I love this group, I love this club and we’re a tight group. We’ll bounce back. It might take a little bit of time for this one to sink in, but we will bounce back and as much as 12 months is a long, long way away, that’s our focus.”
Originally published as Grand final loss will be Adam Tomlinson’s last game for GWS, Heath Shaw will play on