Northern Football League clubs in line if Heath Shaw returns to local footy

Heath Shaw has revealed he’s open to a local footy return in 2021 and several Northern Football League clubs could be in the running for his services.

Heath Shaw’s revelation that he is open to playing local footy next season has Northern Football League clubs scrambling.

In an interview with the Herald Sun, the former Collingwood and Giants star said several clubs had already been in contact since he parted ways with Greater Western Sydney.

Shaw is a Diamond Creek junior and still has strong ties to the area.

Cousin and former Northern Knights and Magpies teammate Brayden Shaw is an assistant coach at Hurstbridge.

Collingwood premiership teammate Brent Macaffer plays for Eltham, close to where Shaw has lived previously.

Heath and Brayden Shaw after being drafted as father-sons to Collingwood in 2003.

Division 1 clubs Bundoora and Northcote Park could also touch base after big names Gary Moorcroft and Matt Dennis and David Myers respectively having departed since the end of 2019.

Reborn VFL club Northern Bullants are also in the mix, while Shaw’s old running mate Dane Swan will line up for St Kilda City in 2021.

“I’ve had a mate from Darwin who wants me to go and play there. Diamond Creek (his former junior club) called me. Ben Reid has tried to get to Wangaratta. Broken Hill has been interested and a team in Tassie has also called,” Shaw told the Herald Sun.

“A mate of mine who is connected to the Northern Bullants left a message for me, so he maybe wants me to do what my dad did.”

“I wouldn’t mind having a kick with (the ‘rat pack’). If the opportunity arose to play a few games with Swanny or Johno or Dids or even Rhyce, that would be fun.”

Diamond Creek coach Andrew Tranquilli is a former Collingwood player himself, featuring 12 times between 1993 and 1995.

Heath Shaw in action for Greater Western Sydney. Picture: Michael Klein

He said the club would be thrilled to welcome back one of its favourite sons.

“He’s a Diamond Creek boy, it’s definitely something we’re hoping to have a chat to him about,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve gone into deep discussion yet, we’re just feeling the waters, but if we can partner up we’d love to have one of our juniors help us out.

“If he’s keen to finish off and give a little bit back to where it all started hopefully it puts us in barrier one.”

Hurstbridge has Cameron Cloke on the books as an assistant coach alongside Brayden Shaw.

The Bridges also had Rhyce Shaw make two guest appearances in 2017 and would love both brothers at Ben Frilay Reserve at some stage.

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“Heath’s got a lot of mates at Diamond Creek, so I reckon that’d be his first port of call. Whether he wants to play second division, I don’t know,” president Mark Donnelly said.

“We’re up for it if he’s interested … it’d be great to see him back in local footy.

“When Rhyce was coaching in Sydney he came down and played a couple of games with us and enjoyed it.

“It depends on how he’s going at home but we’d love to have him come back and play a couple of games, get Travis Cloke back for a couple of games as well.”