Robert Shaw (footballer)

Robert Shaw
Personal information
Full name	Robert Shaw
Date of birth	6 January 1955
Original team(s)	Sandy Bay
Height/Weight	188 cm / 81 kg
Position(s)	Defender
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1974–81	Essendon	51 (8)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
1979–80	Tasmania	6 (?)
Coaching career^3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1988–93 1991–94 1995–96	Tasmania Fitzroy Adelaide	?? (??) 86 (28–58–0) 44 (17–27–0)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1981 season. ^2 State and international statistics correct as of 1980. ^3 Coaching statistics correct as of 1996.

Robert Shaw (born 6 January 1955) is a former Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club and coach in the VFL/AFL with the Fitzroy and Adelaide Football Clubs.^[1] Shaw was recruited from Sandy Bay Football Club in Tasmania.

Playing career

Recruited from Tasmanian club, Sandy Bay Shaw played 51 games between 1974 and 1981 for the Essendon Football Club^[1] and was noted as a talented defender who was struck down by injury throughout a promising career. Shaw underwent nine major operations finally retiring at the end of the 1982 season. Shaw was then appointed by Essendon coach, Kevin Sheedy as a specialist opposition analyst. In 1984 Shaw captain-coached Clarence Football Club in the Tasmanian Football League winning the premiership in 1984 and finishing runners-up in 1985. He retired at the end of the 1985 season before returning to Essendon as assistant coach in 1986. Shaw represented Tasmania in the 1979 and 1980 State of Origin carnivals and overall played six games for his state.

Coaching career

He embarked on a coaching career, first with the Clarence Football Club in Tasmania in 1984–85. Shaw was then appointed Essendon Football Club assistant coach from 1986–1988 then transferred to Fitzroy Football Club as assistant coach between 1989 and 1990. Shaw coached Fitzroy to the VFL reserves premiership in 1989, defeating Geelong by two points. This represents Fitzroy's last premiership success. From 1991–94 Shaw was senior coach of Fitzroy and coached Adelaide Football Club from 1995–96.^[1] Including pre-season games Shaw coached for over 150 games and was highly regarded for his tactical ability and opposition analysis,. He was the assistant coach at Essendon Football Club from 1999–2005 which included the 2000 premiership coached by Kevin Sheedy and captained by James Hird.

Shaw coached Tasmania at the 1988 Bicentennial Carnival and was Tasmania's State of Origin coach from 1990–1993. He successfully coached Tasmania to victory over Victoria in 1990 and was named assistant coach in Tasmania's Team of the Century. He was an inaugural inductee in the Tasmanian Football League's Hall of Fame and in 2008 was elevated to Legend status. He is also a life member of the Essendon Football Club.

Shaw left Essendon at the conclusion of the 2005 season to take up a position at Fremantle Football Club as General Manager of Football Operations, returning to Victoria at the end of the 2008 season. He currently teaches at Brighton Grammar School which includes his role as Director of Football and First XVIII coach. Shaw also works extensively in sport media as a feature writer for Inside Football and a highly respected AFL analyst for 24-hour sports radio station, SEN 1116.

Shaw has a master's degree in Sport Management and an Applied Science Degree majoring in Physical Education.

References

1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2003). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (5th ed.). North Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. pp. 659–660. ISBN 1-74095-032-1.

External links

• Robert Shaw's statistics from AFL Tables