Australian Football

An on-baller whose play oozed class, Queenslander (Western Districts) Gary Shaw was at his peak during the early 1980s, tying for the Simpson Medal with South Fremantle's Maurice Rioli after Claremont's winning 1981 WAFL Grand Final, and maintaining his form throughout 1982 when he won the Tigers' fairest and best award. He also represented his adopted state in the interstate arena, and it is probable that at that point there were few more damaging individuals playing the game anywhere. 

Unfortunately, Shaw's best form deserted him to a large extent when he headed east to Collingwood in 1983, and he managed just 32 games in four seasons at Victoria Park. It was a similar story when he returned home to Queensland to join the fledgling Brisbane Bears in 1987 as he played just six games for the year before being released. However, at his peak during 1981 and '82 he was as formidable a midfielder as any in the game.

Author - John Devaney