HEATH Shaw's time on "the dark side" of football will be a valuable part of his new leadership role, according to the Collingwood defender.

Click here to watch Collingwood's new leaders discuss their promotions on CTV's Official YouTube Channel.

Shaw was suspended for eight weeks last year after he was found to have placed a bet on football. He returned to play in the finals but missed a valuable part of Collingwood's premiership defence.

It was not Shaw's first offence either. He received a club-imposed suspension for his part in a drunken car accident with teammate Alan Didak three years earlier.

Those mistakes were in the distant past on Friday afternoon when new coach Nathan Buckley announced Shaw was to return to the leadership group he had been demoted from at the end of 2010.

Click here to hear Nathan Buckley's thoughts on the 2012 leadership group.

"I've been to the dark side and back so I know what it's like on that side. Hopefully the mistakes I've made can help the guys coming through guide them in the right direction rather than the wrong direction," Shaw said.

"Getting voted in is a big honour for me after the year I had last year and I'm looking forward to that role mentoring young guys but also helping develop the old guys and improving them as well."

Despite his off-field indiscretions, Shaw has become one of the Magpies' most valuable players for his run and rebound from defence over the past few years.

The 26-year-old says he knows it is not necessarily his performances on the field that will silence any doubts over his leadership ability.

"I don't think anyone's doubted my leadership on the ground. You see by the way I go about it, I'm pretty passionate about the way I go on the field," he said.

"Obviously off the field there have been some issues and taking on this leadership role will help me develop as a person and hopefully I can help the club push forward and strive to the ultimate goal again."

Shaw's return to the leadership group is in no small way a show of faith from new Magpies coach and his former captain, Nathan Buckley.

"I sat down with Bucks at the end of the year over in Arizona and reviewed the year I had last year and set goals for the year coming forward," he said.

"He was pretty keen for me to put my hand up and see where I'm at. The boys voted me in and it is a big honour, a big responsibility as well."

Buckey said Shaw brought a unique but important style of leadership to the group.

"I think when you talk about influence, Heath has great influence on the playing group with his strength of character and he's a fairly jovial player around the rooms," Buckley said.
 
"If the mood gets too serious, all you need to do is inject 'Heater' into it and there's often a belly laugh to be had and I think that's pretty important.
 
"We want to enjoy what we do as well."

Shaw will act as a deputy to Nick Maxwell, who was appointed senior captain for a fourth consecutive season.

Maxwell said he was happy to continue in the role if his peers considered him the right man for the job.

"It's just year to year and it's always been that way for me. If my teammates continue to want me to do it and the club continues to want me to do it, then I'll enjoy the responsibility that comes with it and I'll do it to the best of my ability," he said.

"If the time comes that one or any of those groups don't want me to do it then I'll step aside and take the role to support them. At this stage they want me to keep being captain of the football club."

Luke Holmesby is a reporter for afl.com.au. Follow him on twitter - @AFL_LHolmesby