From serial pest to strategist: how Giant Heath Shaw won Steve Johnson over

HEATH Shaw is a self-confessed “serial pest” and one cheeky sledge in particular stands out in Stevie J’s mind. But more important than his quick wit is his passion, loyalty and drive to succeed.

Heath Shaw will play a crucial role in GWS’s Grand Final hopes.

When I first arrived at the Giants for my medical in October 2015, I was guided into a room where I was asked to do a series of different tests.

As I stood ready to perform a leg squat a head popped into the room with a message for the physio: “Hey Leroy, don’t f--- it up.”

It was Heath Shaw.

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He was – in his own unique way – referring to the time I failed a fitness test at Collingwood back in 2006 when I could have possibly become a teammate of his a lot earlier had I passed that particular medical. But he was also breaking the ice before coming in to say g’day to me.

I didn’t really know Heath at the time. I’d played one game with him before, in the 2008 Hall of Fame game. I’d played on him a few times but never enough to say either of us had any bragging rights over one another.

I always kept a pretty close eye on Collingwood given they were one of the Cats’ fiercest rivals but I also watched Heath as he was one of their most damaging players off the halfback flank.

Steve Johnson as a Cat battles soon-to-be Giants teammate Heath Shaw.

Heath Shaw tackles Steve Johnson in the 2010 preliminary final.

Added to that, even though he didn’t know it, he happened to live next door to my sister and her family in Kew. She always said he was very polite and would say hello to my nieces and nephew. He had the odd party where he would come over and apologise in advance for any potential loud noise, so was a very good neighbour.

I always knew he was a pretty good player. You could tell he was a popular teammate because the Collingwood players always talked about him, even if they would say he was one of the biggest pests at the club. In footy clubs, that’s a sign of endearment.

I was a little intrigued as to what made Heath tick, what type of character he was, and how this likeable larrikin used to get away with such demonstrative behaviour on the field, sometimes directed at his then-captain Nick Maxwell.

Fast forward almost two years and I am in a much better position to more accurately describe this enigma of a person we call ‘Heater’.

I now have far greater respect for him as a footballer because I have seen him up close and personal. He has had two outstanding seasons in the time I have been at the Giants and is such an important player in our side.

We match up a lot at training and he is far stronger than he looks. He has a great ability to defend one-on-one, and when the ball hits the ground he recovers like a cat. To go with that, he has elite speed — they are all important attributes for the modern-day defender.

Heath Shaw directs traffic at GWS training.

I now know why he is referred to as a bit of a pest. Heath loves taking the ‘micky’ out of people — whether it be the trainers, the medical, fitness and conditioning staff or anyone that times their walk past the players when he is in one of those moods.

I must give credit where it’s due; he takes note of everything that is said or happens around him so he always has a reference which enables him hit his marks more often than not.

It’s what makes the footy club enjoyable, being able to work and train hard but to also have a bit of fun and good banter along the way.

The thing that stands out about him is his loyalty. He remains very tight with his former Collingwood teammates, but he is also investing in the careers of one or two of the younger players at our club who I think remind him a bit of himself in his younger days.

Those boys are in great hands because not only will he have their backs and be able to offer them some quality life lessons, but he has great knowledge of the game and is always willing to help those around him improve.

Heath is extremely passionate, which has been spoken about publicly from time to time, especially when it appears he goes over the top with his communication to his teammates.

Heath Shaw gets into a stoush with Port Adelaide players earlier this year.

I would probably agree with some of the people who say it doesn’t look great but knowing his personality and the relationships he has with those in the team — especially those playing right alongside him in the backline — I know that his messages are absorbed and taken the right way.

On the footy field you need to be ruthless in your commitment to the contest to be successful. But you also need to be ruthless in your communication to make sure things are set up and getting done.

Heath has learnt that at times where he is at risk of getting overly frustrated to take a deep breath and deliver his communication in a way that will get the response he is after.

While it might appear on the outside if there is a disagreement between players or that the team is fracturing or has an element of arrogance, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

When a player speaks up, you acknowledge they’re doing it because they have the best interests of the team at heart. Heath is one of the leaders at the club for a reason — because he’s highly respected.

We all have different personalities. It’s about respecting our differences and coming together for one common goal and our players have really developed in this area over the past two years.

Saturday night we will be heading out onto the MCG — our 22 blokes versus 22 Richmond footballers with more than 90,000 supporters hoping like hell their players can live up to the occasion.

On the flip side it will be just us. When the sound is deafening and the finals pressure is high, I’ll be bloody glad I’ve got a teammate with a smart football brain directing traffic down back and knowing the noise of the crowd won’t affect him getting his message across one little bit.