CTV in Dubai > Heath Shaw interviewOne of Collingwood’s best from Saturday’s pre-season cup loss to Adelaide in Dubai was Heath Shaw, who spoke to CTV after the match.
With consecutive top-five finishes in the best-and-fairest behind him, the 22-year-old showed he is set for another big year with an excellent display across half back against the Crows.
“Obviously it was disappointing to lose, every game you play you want to win,” Shaw said.
“It was good to finally have a hit-out against some opposition, not your teammates, so it was good to get out there and get a few kicks.
“We’ll obviously look forward to the next couple of weeks, and our next practice match, which is in two weeks, and hopefully we can have a win then.”
The Magpies were coming off two-and-a-half weeks of intensive high-altitude training in South Africa before playing in Dubai, both unique experiences according to Shaw.
“Playing in the desert, I don’t think I’ve done that before, so it was a good experience. The Mexican wave was going out there, and there was a nice crowd here, a good atmosphere. It obviously would’ve been better to have a win, but it was good anyway.
“It was a long trip, three weeks, but we’re going to get the benefits of that later in the year.
“Everyone’s together, you live in each other’s pockets, so you do get on each other’s nerves, so it was a really good experience.
“Some boys haven’t left the country before, and the new boys coming in, you get that experience going to South Africa and Dubai, it’s always going to be a good one.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to Melbourne and getting back into training there.”
Collingwood has a week off before heading to Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia to take on the loser of this weekend’s Fremantle-West Coast clash.
