HEATH Shaw knows how hard it is to get back to a Grand Final, but the veteran Giant wants his young teammates to go into Saturday's decider with clear heads and the thought they'll be back again.
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Shaw played for Collingwood in the 2010 (twice) and 2011 Grand Finals, and after an eight-year gap is back at the MCG on the last day of the season with Greater Western Sydney.
Speaking at Friday's parade, the 33-year-old said his build-up was much different to his last trip with the Magpies.
Heath Shaw's Grand Final wisdom has come in handy for the Giants this week. Picture: AFL Photos
"I was a bit younger and excited, and, not out of control, but you're just happy with everything and can go off on tangents," Shaw said.
"This year I'm the elder statesman, the leader and trying to keep everything intact as much as I can.
"I love my routine, so I'm trying to keep it as normal as possible.
"It's still an exciting week, it's an exciting buzz as soon as you hit Melbourne."
You don't really want the young guys to think that way ... you want them to think this is going to happen forever - Heath Shaw
Shaw said some of the "older guys" realise the difficulty and magnitude of making a Grand Final, but he didn't expect – or want – the younger Giants to feel the same.
Ruckman Shane Mumford (Sydney, 2012) and tagger Matt de Boer (Fremantle, 2013) are his only teammates to play in a Grand Final.
Shaw was part of the Giants' rise after leaving Collingwood at the end of 2013, helping them to six wins in 2014, then 11 in 2015 and into a preliminary final in 2016.
"Maybe some of the older guys do (realise how tough it is)," Shaw said.
"You don't really want the young guys to think that way.
"You want them to think this is going to happen forever.
"You want them to go out there and give it their all and that's all we worry about.
"Not a lot fazes us. We travel a lot, we spend a lot of time together, we're a really close group, so that holds us in good stead coming to Melbourne and playing in a Grand Final.
"We played in a prelim where there was probably 90,000 Richmond supporters and 2,000 Giants supporters a few years (2017) back – it can't get any different to that.
"I can't wait."
