Shaw had a stunning 2006 season, being quickly noted for his ball-winning ability out of the back-line and his consistency and reliability which was a key to the success of the Magpies.

In Round 4 on ANZAC Day against Essendon he had 23 touches and 10 marks, and in the following week, he won an AFL Rising Star nomination.

Shaw would poll seven votes in the Brownlow Medal, as well as finish equal fourth (fifth on the new countback system) in the Copeland Trophy and was considered unlucky not to be selected in the All-Australian team.

[5] Shaw started 2008 well with a best-on-ground performance against Richmond, but found the going tough mid-season when opposition clubs finally discovered ways to curb his influence.

Shaw managed to knock the ball free from Riewoldt's hands before it could even touch his boot to save a certain goal and tip the momentum Collingwood's way.

By mid-year 2011 he was a popularly tipped by most pundits to be a certain inclusion in the All-Australian team but after he was found to have laid a bet on teammate he was suspended for the rest of the season.

In 2013, Shaw's on-field issues were highlighted again during Collingwood's loss to Port Adelaide in the Elimination Final where he played on Angus Monfries.

During the game, Shaw gave away a crucial free kick in the goal square early in the second quarter and after the siren for half-time rang, he threw the ball at Monfries' head.

[11] Shaw was involved in a late-season controversy in 2008 when he was charged with drink driving after crashing into a parked car and reportedly registering a blood alcohol reading of 0.144.

[13] Shaw was suspended by the AFL in July 2011 after it was found that he had paid $10 to a friend to bet on teammate Nick Maxwell to be the first goalscorer in Collingwood's Round 9 match against Adelaide.

AFL integrity rules prohibit all players and club officials from participating in any form of betting on football matches.

[14] During the 2014 off-season, Shaw was detained by Victorian police for drunken behaviour early on the morning of the AFL Grand Final, which his brother Rhyce was to take part in for the Sydney Swans.

He was the second Giants player to fall foul of the law in 2014, after teammate Toby Greene was suspended for five matches earlier in the season also for drunken behaviour following the team's 111-point loss to West Coast in Round 8.