Parting Shaw Urges Pies To Forgive Brother
The Sunday Age
Sunday October 12, 2008
AS HE contemplates a fresh start in Sydney, Rhyce Shaw hopes his beloved former club Collingwood allows younger brother Heath to start next season with no lingering internal suspicions following his mid-season suspension.
Rhyce, who was traded to the Swans in the final two hours of trade week, said while his best chance at reviving his career was always going to come through a move, Heath still had the chance to be one of the Magpies' great players.Heath and Alan Didak were suspended after round 17 for the remainder of the season after Heath blew .144 and crashed his car, the pair then lying to club officials about Didak's presence in the passenger seat. Rhyce was rubbed out for two matches, for drinking with the pair while injured, and then struggled to regain his place in the side.Yesterday, after arriving home from former teammate Brodie Holland's wedding in Bali, the soon-to-turn 27-year-old said he understood then that he needed to find a new home, but expected Heath to make the most of his fresh chance."It would be really good for him if they let him put it behind him," said Shaw. "I think with everything that's happened this year it would be good for him to come out of it with a clean slate - not pretend it didn't happen, but not have any baggage from it."Heath knows he stuffed up, he regrets every minute of it, but he's a bright kid. He knows he's got to get on with his life and do the right things, and he's a really good player. I think he can help take Collingwood to a new level and he'll show that next year."Shaw had hoped at the start of trade week to end up in Sydney, but on Thursday afternoon worried he might have to stay put, with no club showing much interest.He sat by his phone on Friday morning, to hear what he described as "good, but very weird" news, and after speaking later with Sydney coach Paul Roos, was confident he could give the Swans what they wanted him to bring."One of my favourite players growing up was Paul Williams, and he left Collingwood, went up to Sydney and won two best and fairests. It certainly helped him and his footy, and hopefully it will do the same for me," Shaw said."From speaking to Paul Roos, he said I'd been in the system nine years now and should be able to bring up some experience and knowledge of what lies ahead. He told me I was pretty versatile and that I should be able to help the Swans out down back or in the midfield, and play in a few different spots."It feels like a good fit. It's going to be a big move and in some ways it's sad, but I'm looking forward to getting away from Melbourne and living in a new city and doing something for the Swans."Shaw said he didn't feel he had been made a scapegoat for that mid-season drinking session. He would always, he said, love the club his father and uncle had captained. But while regretful his suspension interrupted what felt like his best season, he took confidence from feeling he would move to his new club in good form."This has definitely been my best year, so it's a weird situation to be moving, but it was definitely time for me to move on. The suspension probably did interrupt what was a good season for me individually and that's the regret that comes out of it, but all I can do is make sure it never happens again," he said."I just want to enjoy my footy and I don't know if I was going to do that where I was."
© 2008 The Sunday Age
