Another senior player to join the developing Giants in the off-season,
as Shaw seemingly didn’t fit the bill under Buckley’s new “culture” their loss
will undoubtedly be the Giants gain. Shaw has recently become a part of Greater Western Sydney’s leadership group and will be raring to go for his new club.
The question on our minds as SuperCoach’s is will this change of
scenario be beneficial to the hot headed Shaw? Or have the days of the dashing
defender being part of our make-ups past?
When looking for premium defenders, you search for ball winning
ability, licence to play with freedom and a defenders greatest scoring asset,
disposals won from the opposition. Shaw ticks all these boxes without a second
thought, however in the past it has been his consistency and reliability that
has driven the odd coach, both fantasy and AFL, up the wall.
Above all, Shaw’s average hasn’t dropped under 91 since 2006, eight
years of A-grade returns for Shaw, including four seasons with an average of
more than 100, they are the numbers we strive for in defender. So will the move
from a premiership winning, consistently performing Collingwood side, to an
inexperienced and weaker GWS side return similar numbers? The short answer is
yes, but certainly on the lower end of the spectrum and an intensified
rollercoaster than we have grown accustom to with Shaw.
While a common and simplified look at the situation is often “Oh he
will see heaps more of the footy in the Giants defence!” - I don’t subscribe to
that theory. Shaw will be forced to take on more responsibility in defence and
more of a leadership role, teaching the younger Giants. While he is too good of
a player to not find plenty of the ball on his own, the risk factor is much
higher in 2014.
As we’ve seen before, Shaw is easily frustrated and he will certainly
receive less help from his defenders and much less midfield pressure on the
opposition ball carrier through the midfield, which was a big factor in his
intercepting dominance at Collingwood.
For the price Shaw is at, there are too many “what if” scenarios that
could see his average decline. While I still expect him to average in the low
nineties, he is not the safest selection for your defence. Shaw will be an
outstanding acquisition to Greater Western Sydney, but a position in your
defence could have you tearing your hair out more weeks than not, as his
inconsistency looks set to be more of a regular occurrence at the lowly
Giants.